Dawn and Shadows
by Firesong's Mirror
Summary: During a freezing leaf-bare night, a moon after the Great Battle, a dying queen staggers into the ShadowClan camp; before she dies in kitting, she whispers to Blackstar that she is from the Tribe. Six moons later, Bronzepaw, Blackpaw, and Snowpaw are newly made apprentices. But why is a strange prophecy slowly tearing their lives into pieces? Rated T for possible violence.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi everyone! Welcome to the first fanfiction story I've ever written. It takes place two seasons after The Last Hope ended. Please read, review, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Warriors, except the characters that I make up myself.**

**Prologue**

The night was cold and still. The snow that lay in heaps and piles across the pine forest floor muffled all sounds, so when Tawnypelt heard a bat flutter above her, she jumped up as if expecting an enemy to come leaping from the trees.

Relax, she told herself. It's fine, it's just a bat. Nothing's going to happen.

But something _had _happened, and that was the problem. After the horrible battle between the four living Clans, the Dark Forest, and StarClan, the earth was wet with blood, the sky raining with tears, and the grass mixed with flesh torn from pelts. Many, so many had died... the ghosts of the cats who couldn't find StarClan's hunting grounds now wandered the earth, waiting for someone to guide them to the Dark Forest or StarClan or the Land in Between. Tawnypelt felt as though there was an endless parade of the dead, calling out into the night...

Wait - there _was _someone calling in the night. The voice was faint at first, but it was steadily getting louder. Tawnypelt's first instinct was to shout out, "Who's there? Show yourselves!" But she knew that that would be playing right into the hands of a potential ambush. Instead, she pressed herself flatter against the snow and waited to see what would happen next.

At last, a think shadow stumbled into the pool of moonlight in front of the thorn barrier into camp. Tawnypelt couldn't suppress a gasp of horror. It was a she-cat; her muzzle was covered with thick scars, her ears clawed to shreds, one eye swollen, as if she'd been driven away with cats scratching at her face. Every single one of her ribs were visible, and her belly was bloated with - was it hunger? No, she was pregnant!

"Oh, you poor, poor thing..." Tawnypelt murmured, trotting over to the she-cat. She ignored the voice that was screaming "TRAP!" in her head, because what sort of horrible cats would use a half-dead queen as bait? Besides, she was half-ThunderClan, and ThunderClan cats helped strangers.

"My kits..." the queen murmured, sinking down onto her knees. Her eyes closed, and she drew a faint, rattling breath. "They're coming... please, help..."

"You've come to the wrong Clan... oh, why didn't you go to ThunderClan? They would've taken you in! But ShadowClan, I don't know... but I'll do what I can." Tawnypelt twisted her mouth as she hurried back through the tunnel, to the camp entrance. To her surprise, Kinkfur was sitting washing herself in front of the warriors' den.

"Kinkfur! I need your help!" Tawnypelt called, bounding over to the straggly-furred she-cat. "There's a sick queen outside of camp, she needs our help! She's going to have her kits very soon!"

"She couldn't have chosen a worse time to come," Kinkfur said grimly, hurrying over to the entrance. "Blackstar won't be happy at all with a new mouth to feed. Ah, well, there's nothing we can do. Let's get her to the nursery."

Tawnypelt followed her to the clearing. Kinkfur gave an audible gasp when she saw the sick queen. "This is horrible! Who could have treated her like this? She must have gotten caught in the battle." Tawnypelt blinked; she hadn't thought of that, but that would explain the fresh-looking claw marks. "Come on, dear, let's get you into the nursery, you'll be safe there, and Littlecloud will get you cleaned up."

"My kits..." The queen struggled to her feet again with Kinkfur's aid. "What will happen to my kits? Will you let them live with your... your cats? Your Clans?"

"We'll see." Tawnypelt felt cruel and cold-hearted, trying to reassure the she-cat of something that might not necessarily be true, but she said nothing else. They helped the sick cat through the thorn tunnel, trying to spare her from the worst of the thorns, even though Tawnypelt's fur kept getting snagged in the narrow tunnel. At last, they reached the camp clearing.

"I'll get Littlecloud," Kinkfur said, and she trotted off to the medicine cat's den. Tawnypelt was left to help the queen into the nursery.

"Who's there?" a voice asked. As Tawnypelt's eyes adjusted to the gloom, she saw Leopardstep looking at her with fear and revulsion. "Who's _that? _Is she a loner? Why are you even letting her in here? She's disgusting!"

"Oh, shut up and make some room!" Tawnypelt snapped back as the queen collapsed into the nearest pile of moss. "Can't you see she needs help? She's really close to kitting, and she might die!"

"Find someone who cares," Leopardstep hissed back. "I have my own kits to care for." She turned away and curled up into a ball again, shielding her newborn kits from the noise.

"Tawnypelt? Are you in here?" It was Littlecloud; he was trying to squeeze his way into the nursery. "Can you give me a little room, please?"

"Sure," she replied immediately, shifting aside. "I'll leave now."

"All right," Littlecloud murmured distractedly, already zooming in on his new patient. "Ah, what have we here?... Oh, no! What happened to her?"

Exactly, Tawnypelt thought as she shuffled out of the nursery. I only hope she'll be all right. There's nothing else I can do for that queen.

She padded over to Blackstar's den and called respectfully, "Blackstar? Are you awake?" An affirmative growl sounded from within. She went in hesitantly and settled in a crouch, waiting for Blackstar to speak. He was sitting upright, his ears pricked.

"And to what do I owe this very late visit, Tawnypelt?" he asked.

Tawnypelt shuffled her paws. "I apologize for waking you, Blackstar, but a very sick, pregnant queen has arrived at camp, and I just brought her into the nursery. Kinkfur told Littlecloud, and he's tending to the queen now."

"A _what?_" Blackstar rumbled, his tail twitching. "A sick queen? Tawnypelt, do you have any idea what you've done? We cannot afford any extra mouths to feed, let alone sick patients who require herbs! There are too many injured cats, including you, who still need treatment, even a half moon after the battle."

"I know," Tawnypelt mumbled. "But I think she's dying anyway. Besides, her kits may yet turn out to be healthy. After the battle, don't we need all the warriors we can get?"

Blackstar growled. "Not loners, or worse, kittypets! We have no idea where that cat came from!"

"Remember how Firestar took in the cats from the horseplace. ThunderClan got three extra warriors. And look at how they outnumber us today!" a new voice sounded. Tawnypelt whirled around and saw Rowanclaw walk into the den. His yellow eyes gleamed. "I think we should let the kits stay, at least. The queen is as good as dead."

Narrowing his eyes, Blackstar asked, "Even if it means tainting Clan blood?"

"You know that we need more warriors. You may be grateful for your decision in the future." Rowanclaw dipped his head to show that he did not mean the statement as if he was telling Blackstar what to do. Tawnypelt gazed at him with adoration. He would make a great leader.

"Very well," Blackstar growled. "You may assist the queen, and her kits, in whatever way you can, Tawnypelt, since you were the one to find them."

"Yes, Blackstar." Tawnypelt dipped her head. Inside, she was almost skipping with joy. It was the very heart of leaf-bare, and yet new life was joining the Clan! She couldn't wait to see how the queen was doing. Her kits were the most important thing right now, even if she looked like she was close to death.

"Blackstar." An anxious murmur disturbed the silence. "It's the queen. She's kitting, and I'm afraid she won't make it. She said she wants to speak with the leader of this Clan." Littlecloud did not go in, but he waited at the entrance, gazing imploringly at his leader.

With an impatient hiss, Blackstar got to his feet and flicked his tail to make sure Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt followed. "Let us go see her."

Tawnypelt shivered as she fell into step beside Rowanclaw. "Who do you think will look after the kits when the queen dies?"

"She may yet live," Rowanclaw replied, not looking at her. "There's always a chance."

"Yes, but Littlecloud said he thought she wouldn't make it," Tawnypelt persisted. "So what do you think we'll do? Leopardstep didn't sound very friendly when I was in the nursery. She told the queen to get out."

"Then she'll just have to deal with it," Rowanclaw growled. "I'm not having an irritated queen condemn future warriors to death before they're even born."

They had reached the nursery. Blackstar ducked in with Littlecloud, leaving Tawnypelt to wait outside with Rowanclaw; the nursery was too small for all of them to fit in together.

"It sounds as though you don't even care what happens to the kits - I mean, you're talking as if they're just extra-juicy pieces of fresh-kill!" Tawnypelt was shocked; she'd never seen Rowanclaw act this coldly before.

"I care about them." Rowanclaw wouldn't look at her. He licked his paw a few times, then stared at the camp entrance.

"I'm having kits." Tawnypelt blurted out. "Only I didn't realize you'd act so cold-hearted to future life." She turned on her tail, savoring Rowanclaw's shocked expression, and was prepared to stalk off until Blackstar re-emerged from the nursery. At the same time, a blood-curdling yowl sounded from inside the nursery.

"She's kitting," Blackstar said gruffly. His eyes sparked with sadness. "It seems that the queen is on her last breaths. Tawnypelt, are you going somewhere?"

"No, Blackstar." Tawnypelt sat down again, not looking at her mate. "Did the queen say anything about where she came from?"

"Yes." Blackstar lowered his mew to a whisper. "She said that she came from the Tribe. She didn't say its exact name, but I'm pretty sure she meant the Tribe of Rushing Water."

"That far?" Tawnypelt was startled. "It's a wonder she even made it! Do you know who she is?"

"If I did, I'd tell you, wouldn't I?" Blackstar's lip curled. "She also said that her kits were to be named Blackkit, Bronzekit, and Snowkit." A faint tinge of pride colored his voice. "That was after I told her my name."

"It seems like she knows a lot about Clan life," Rowanclaw growled. "Maybe she was a spy."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Littlecloud emerged, looking stricken. "She's dead. The kits are healthy, though, which is a wonder in itself. I named the black one Blackkit, the dark brown and ginger one Bronzekit, and the white one Snowkit. They'll make fine warriors, I'm sure. Leopardstep's going to suckle them, for now."

"Good," Blackstar said with satisfaction. "The Clan needs new warriors."

Tawnypelt gulped. She didn't want to tell the Clan leader that she was kitting, not just yet. She wanted it to be a secret.

"Tawnypelt -" Rowanclaw started to say, but he was interrupted by the screech of a dark shadow right above them. It landed in the middle of the snow-covered clearing and turned to face the three cats, who were frozen in shock. It was a raven.

"Shreee!" the raven shrieked. "Caw!"

Tawnypelt's blood ran cold as she realized that she _knew _what the raven was saying. "The ice fields are not barren any longer!" it said. "As Dawn rises once more after the terrible darkness, more blood will be spilled as the Clans rediscover the power of knowledge!"

"What are you saying?" Tawnypelt whispered. "There will be _more _fighting? Haven't we had enough?"

"Rrrawk!" The raven fixed its beady stare on her. "Beware; the shadows are safe no longer." With that, it flew off into the night, leaving three cats' gazes clouded with horror.

**A/N: Updates may take up to two weeks or something, but I'll try to minimize the wait. And here are the allegiances for chapter 1 onwards:  
**

**ShadowClan  
**

Leader: Blackstar - white tom with a black paw

Deputy: Rowanclaw - ginger tom

Medicine Cat: Littlecloud - very small tabby tom

Warriors:

Oakfur - small brown tom (apprentice - Lynxpaw)

Smokefoot - black tom

Toadfoot - dark brown tom

Tawnypelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Applefur - mottled brown she-cat

Crowfrost - black-and-white tom

Snowbird - pure white she-cat (apprentice - Ravenpaw)

Olivenose - tortoiseshell she-cat (apprentice - Snarlpaw)

Owlclaw - light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot - gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur - dark gray tom

Tigerheart - dark brown tabby tom

Dawnpelt - cream-furred she-cat

Ferretclaw - cream-and-gray tom

Starlingwing - ginger tom

Kinkfur - tabby she-cat, with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Apprentices:

Snarlpaw - a black tom with white flecks on his back

Ravenpaw - a silver and black tom

Lynxpaw - a mottled dark brown and grey she-cat with fierce orange eyes

Queens:

Ivytail - black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat (mother to Yewkit, Jadekit, Jewelkit, and Moonkit)

Leopardstep- a black and grey she-cat (adopted mother of Blackkit, Bronzekit, and Snowkit)

Elders:

Tallpoppy - long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

Whitewater - white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

Snaketail - dark brown tom with a tabby tail and a torn ear

**ThunderClan  
**

Leader: Bramblestar - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes (apprentice - Dewpaw)

Deputy: Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes (apprentice - Cherrypaw)

Medicine cat: Jayfeather - grey tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Warriors:

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brackenfur - golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail - long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger patches

Millie - striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

Sorreltail - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom (apprentice - Lilypaw)

Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes (apprentice - Molepaw)

Berrynose - cream-colored tom (apprentice - Seedpaw)

Cinderheart - gray tabby she-cat

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap - reddish tabby tom (apprentice - Snowpaw)

Rosepetal - dark cream she-cat

Blossomfall - tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Bumblestripe - very pale gray tom with black stripes

Dovewing - pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Ivypool - silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Cherrytail - a ginger she-cat

Molewhisker - a brown-and-cream tom

Apprentices:

Lilypaw – a dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Seedpaw – a very pale ginger she-cat

Dewpaw - grey tom with amber eyes

Snowpaw - white tom with amber eyes

Queens:

Daisy - cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat

Elders:

Graystripe - long-haired gray tom

Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom

**RiverClan  
**

Leader: Mistystar - gray she-cat with blue eyes**  
**

Deputy: Reedwhisker - black tom

Medicine cat: Mothwing - dapple golden she-cat (apprentice - Willowshine)

Warriors:

Graymist - pale gray tabby she-cat

Mintfur - light gray tabby tom

Minnowtail - dark gray she-cat

Pebblefoot - mottled gray tom (apprentice - Irispaw)

Mallownose - light brown tabby tom (apprentice - Pinepaw)

Robinwing - tortoiseshell-and-white tom (apprentice - Halfpaw)

Petalfur - gray-and-white she-cat

Mosspelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Grasspelt - light brown tom

Hollowflight - dark brown tabby tom

Troutstream - pale gray tabby she-cat

Rushtail - light brown tabby tom

Apprentices:

Irispaw – a pale ginger she-cat with white paws

Pinepaw – a white tom

Halfpaw – a brown tabby tom

Queens:

Duskfur - brown tabby she-cat (mother of Pearlkit and Slitherkit)

Elders:

Dapplenose - mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail - ginger-and-white tom

**WindClan  
**

Leader: Onestar - brown tabby tom

Deputy: Ashfoot - grey she-cat

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight - mottled grey tom

Warriors:

Crowfeather - dark gray tom

Owlwhisker - light brown tabby tom

Whiskertail - sandy brown tom

Whitetail - small white she-cat

Nightcloud - black she-cat

Gorsetail - very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur - ginger tom with white paws (apprentice - Rabbitpaw)

Leaftail - dark tabby tom with amber eyes (apprentice - Robinpaw)

Emberfoot - gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Furzepelt - gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderstrike - large pale gray tom

Sedgewhisker - light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail - dark gray she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

Queens:

Sunstrike - tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Horsekit and Goldkit)

Apprentices:

Robinpaw - a very dark brown she-cat with pale blue eyes

Rabbitpaw - a grey-and-white tom with a ginger tail-tip

Elders:

Webfoot - dark grey tabby tom

Tornear - tabby tom


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: If anyone is confused, Crowfrost and Ivytail are the parents of Yewkit, Jadekit, Jewelkit, and Moonkit, while Leopardstep is the adopted mother of Blackkit, Bronzekit, and Snowkit, and the mate of Toadfoot. Leopardstep's original kits (Snarlpaw, Ravenpaw, and Lynxpaw) have been apprentices for 2 moons.**

******These author's notes will appear only if I feel like making a comment about the chapter or answering some questions. Otherwise, I'll try not to distract from reading.**

**Chapter 1**

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Nothing. I just hate you."

"Well, I hate you too, and I'm going to go tell Ivytail and Leopardstep what you did, and they'll punish you!"

"Leopardstep would never hurt me, she's my mother!"

"Whatever. Come on, Jewelkit, let's go play with Jadekit and Moonkit and leave this loser to his stupid games." Yewkit beckoned commandingly with his tail, and after a moment, his calico sister followed, casting an apologetic look at Bronzekit. Bronzekit looked down at his auburn paws, seething with anger. Why did Yewkit always have to humiliate him in front of his friends, especially in front of Jewelkit?

A tail-tip touched him on the shoulder. He looked up and saw Blackkit looking at him with sympathy in her dark blue eyes. "Don't worry," she murmured. "Leopardstep won't hurt us, even if she's only our adopted mother. Let's go ask Jadekit and Moonkit to play a new game with us before Yewkit does, so you can pay him back!" She looked at Bronzekit hopefully. He shrugged, but felt his mood lighten.

"All right, let's go!" They scampered off across the pine-needle-strewn clearing, heading towards the apprentices' den, where Moonkit, Jadekit, and Snowkit were practicing stalking techniques. With a flash of satisfaction, Bronzekit overtook Yewkit, who was marching purposefully to his brother and Snowkit. Before Yewkit could do anything but gasp with rage, Bronzekit yowled, "Hey, Moonkit! Snowkit! Jadekit! D'you wanna play a new game with me and Blackkit?" Lowering his voice as he got nearer, Bronzekit added, "You don't have to play with Yewkit, he's being a pain in the tail."

Moonkit's pale grey eyes brightened. "Sure!" he said happily. "What about you, Snowkit?"

"Erm... I'm fine," Snowkit muttered distractedly, glancing around at the pine trees surrounding the camp. "Have any of you seen a raven lately?"

"I've seen a Raven_paw_. He's strutting around, showing off the new battle moves he just learned from Snowbird." Jadekit snorted with disgust. "So, what game did you want to play?"

Blackkit ruffled her jet-black fur. "I don't know, but it better be something that involves running, cause I'm pretty cold!"

"Are you crazy?" Bronzekit asked her. "It's not even leaf-fall yet!"

"It's nightfall, though," Snowkit pointed out. Sure enough, her pure white pelt was starting to glow in the gathering twilight. "I've got to get back to Leopardstep. She promised that if she saw a raven, she'd tell me..." With that, the tiny kit trotted off to the nursery, still muttering something about ravens.

"What's gotten into her?" Jewelkit asked Moonkit as she padded up to the little group. "And what's with her and ravens?"

Moonkit shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. So whadder we gonna play?" he asked Bronzekit.

Bronzekit flicked his tail in thought. "Well, I was thinking maybe a game of hide-and-seek... shadow-style! We have to pretend to be shadow-cats on a mission to collect rare and valuable supplies for our supersecret Clan." His eyes brightened with inspiration. "If anyone who isn't part of our team - that is, anyone who's not a kit - sees us, we have to surrender all of the goods that we collected and return to the prison den! That could be that rock next to the medicine den," he added, pointing with his tail. "So each one of us had to collect an acorn cap, a scrap of moss, a smooth rock, and an herb. Any herb."

Yewkit, who had also come over to listen, snorted. "That's so easy. We can just go into Littlecloud's den and steal some herbs. He's so old, he probably won't even notice!"

"Don't be so mean!" Jadekit snapped at her brother. "Littlecloud is perfectly capable of seeing kits trying to sneak into his herb store for a game!" Turning to Bronzekit, she added, "Not that it's not a good game, or anything, but I don't think it's very safe to get herbs. What if we get something poisonous by accident?"

Blackkit bristled in defense of her brother. "I'm sure Bronzekit was assuming that none of us would be stupid enough to do that! Weren't you listening at Littlecloud's lesson about herbs?"

"Yes," Jadekit muttered.

"Well, then you should know what the poisonous ones look like." Blackkit finished with satisfaction, ignoring Bronzekit's glare. _Why did she have to step in to protect me?_ he thought angrily. _I can totally defend myself from insults, thanks!_

"Whatever, let's just play!" Jewelkit broke in impatiently. "I think Bronzekit's idea was great, so there!"

"Fine..." Yewkit mumbled, rolling his eyes. Blackkit eyed him distrustfully.

"No one asked _you _to play," she said. "In fact, you were the one who said –"

"Blackkit." Bronzekit flicked her ear with his tail. "It doesn't matter. If the loser is too cowardly to admit his mistakes, let him! All right, I'm off." With that, he slunk into the shadows next to the apprentices' den, hissing to the others, "Hurry up, or you'll all fail your mission and go to the prison den!"

With a flurry of movement, all the kits scattered into their hiding places in record time. And not a moment too soon; a patrol was coming into camp, led by Oakfur. Olivenose, Kinkfur, and Snarlpaw followed the senior cat.

Bronzekit crouched as low as he could in his hiding place as Blackstar emerged from his den. "Anything to report?" the white tom growled.

"All clear. Those ThunderClan mange-pelts are keeping well inside their borders, and the Twolegs are leaving the clearing," Oakfur replied.

Before Blackstar could say anything, Kinkfur interrupted. "Where are all the kits?"

There was a faint hiss of laughter. Bronzekit looked sideways and saw Blackkit rolling around, giggling as the older cats looked around in alarm, wondering where the youngest members of ShadowClan had gone.

"Quiet, or they'll hear you!" he growled, but he was still unable to suppress a snort. It looked like Olivenose was chasing her own tail, the way she was whirling around like that.

"Jewelkit!" "Moonkit!" "Yewkit!" "Jadekit!" Now, more cats were calling for the kits. Bronzekit waited for them to say "Bronzekit! Blackkit!", but the warriors seemed to only care about Ivytail's kits. He felt a prickle of anger, like a sharp needle that had jabbed him in the nose. _Did they really not care about me?_ he wondered, feeling unexpectedly hurt. Although he did not share Leopardstep's blood, it still made his paws prick when he saw her calling for Yewkit with worry.

"It's like they don't even care about us..." Blackkit murmured. She had stopped laughing, and now she sat by Bronzekit, watching the commotion.

"Maybe... maybe they just forgot..." Bronzekit's voice sounded unconvincing even to his own ears.

Just then, four small figures came slinking out from behind the warriors' den. It was Yewkit and the others! They padded over to their mother, their tails low. Ivytail let out a yowl of surprise and relief and immediately started licking them. The other warriors clustered around them. Even from here, Bronzekit could see the triumphant smirk on Yewkit's face; he was _relishing _all the attention he was getting!

"Traitors!" he hissed. "They didn't even try to hide for more than five seconds!"

"Cowards," Blackkit spat. "And look at them, lapping up all the attention. Even Snowkit is there!" Sure enough, a tiny white pelt could be seen next to the brown tabby fur of Yewkit and the mottled grey pelt of Jadekit.

The crowd slowly dispersed. Ivytail's four kits trotted off to the nursery, followed by their mother and Snowkit. Leopardstep made to follow them, but suddenly stopped and turned around. Her face looked like she was itching from guilt. Next to her, the frightening shape of Blackstar loomed over her.

"Er... Bronzekit? Blackkit? Are you still hiding?" she called hesitantly. "You can come out now. It's sundown, time to go to sleep."

"Finally," Bronzekit muttered. With his head held high, he stalked towards Leopardstep and Blackstar, pleased that his paws weren't even shaking from fear. Behind him, he heard Blackkit trotting to keep up.

"Kits," Blackstar growled. "Why were you hiding when your mother was calling for you?"

Leopardstep shot Bronzekit an imploring look, as if to say,_ be polite!_

"If you please, Blackstar, we were not called for until just now." Bronzekit dipped his head. "Blackkit, Yewkit, Jewelkit, Jadekit, Moonkit, and I were all going to play a game of shadow-cats, but then your patrol discovered that we were missing. You started calling for Ivytail's kits, but they didn't come out for several minutes. We were not called for, so we did not come out of hiding for twice as long." He risked a peek at Blackstar, but the leader sat with an impassive expression. "If I may so suggest, I think that Ivytail's kits should be punished for ignoring your calls, while Blackkit and I came as soon as you remembered of our existence."

"Bronzekit!" Leopardstep exploded. "Apologize at once!" Turning to Blackstar, she said in a flustered tone, "He is not usually this rude, Blackstar. Please forgive him."

To everyone's surprise, Blackstar started to chuckle. His low, rumbling laugh gave Bronzekit the creeps. "No, no, Leopardstep, he is absolutely right. Any ShadowClan cat should have the right to speak the truth as they see it, and this kit has a lot of audacity to do so to his leader." He beckoned for Blackkit to come closer to him. "I have no doubt that this she-kit would have said the same as her brother. I commend you, Leopardstep, for raising such promising members of ShadowClan - although your mothering skills leave hope for improvement." At the end, a menacing note crept into Blackstar's voice. "I think it is high time for all seven of these kits to receive their apprentice names. They have broken more rules than I care to count, just as any normal kit would and should. Leopardstep, see that this... situation... does not happen again before sundown tomorrow." With that, Blackstar turned and padded off back to his den.

Bronzekit released a breath that he didn't know he was holding; beside him, he heard Blackkit do the same. "That was super close," he whispered to her. She nodded in agreement.

"Kits!" Leopardstep turned to them, anger sparking in her gaze. "How dare you make me look so foolish in front of Blackstar?"

"It _was _your fault that you forgot about us... Mother." Blackkit managed to make the word sound like an insult.

Leopardstep's eyes narrowed. "I will make sure all of you - all seven of you - do not leave the nursery until your ceremony tomorrow. This is punishment for _all _of you, because you all broke one rule or another." She stalked off without another word, clearly expecting the two kits to follow.

Blackkit looked sideways at Bronzekit. "This is worse than cleaning the elders' pelts from ticks," She said.

Bronzekit only shrugged. In his opinion, being forgotten like you didn't exist was much worse than doing some stupid job. He vowed to himself that it would never happen again.

**A/N: It has come to my attention that Leopardstep did not exist in the Last Hope. Sorry. Consider her added for the purposes of this story.  
**

**~Fire  
**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The morning dawned crisp and sunny. The trees were still green, but leaf-fall would be coming soon. Already, there was a slight mist in the mornings. Blackkit knew this because she had woken up before dawn and sneaked out of the nursery, completely disregarding Leopardstep's punishment, as always. She always forgot to enforce it anyways. Now, she crouched under the trailing ferns next to the nursery entrance, watching the ShadowClan camp waking up.

The first cats to emerge were the dawn patrol. Oakfur, Tigerheart, and Dawnpelt left through the bramble tunnel, shaking the dew off the branches by their passing. Rowanclaw saw them off, standing next to the tunnel, his tail twitching. With a flick of his ears, he headed towards the nursery, probably to check on Tawnypelt. Blackkit pressed herself deeper into the shadows under the ferns, hoping against hope that he wouldn't see or scent her.

To her relief, he ducked inside without seeing her. She settled into a crouch and continued to watch the camp.

Soon, more warriors came out of the two warriors' dens, yawning and stretching. Ferretclaw and Starlingwing were sharing tongues. Applefur invited Crowfrost to go hunting with her and Toadfoot; Smokefoot simply disappeared through the tunnel, obviously wanting to hunt alone. Blackkit watched all of this activity with glee; she loved the feeling of power she got from simply being an observer, watching the cats interact without actually joining them, being able to see the greater picture and the patterns in the activity.

Snowbird stuck her head into the apprentices' den and called, "Ravenpaw! Time to get up!"

A groggy voice replied from within, "Coming, Snowbird. I'm just stretching."

In response, Snowbird pushed her whole body into the den, looking determined. A moment later, Ravenpaw and Snarlpaw emerged in a flurry of movement, shepherded by a smug-looking Snowbird.

"Why does Lynxpaw get to sleep in?" Snarlpaw complained as he flexed his claws in the dirt. "She has to train, too!"

"Oakfur went on dawn patrol," Olivenose said, padding up to her apprentice. "Snowbird, Ravenpaw, you, and I'll be going on the sunhigh one. So you'd best get yourself over to the training clearing, 'cause we've got some battle moves to learn before then."

"Battle moves? Cool!" Snarlpaw straightened up, all signs of exhaustion gone. "And Lynxpaw doesn't get to join us, ha-ha!"

"Ha-ha indeed," Ravenpaw muttered. "She can always learn them while we're on patrol, so basically she gets more sleep for nothing."

"You get to go on patrol," Snowbird pointed out. "She doesn't."

Blackkit shifted, unable to contain her impatience with being confined to camp. With a flash of excitement, she remembered that she'd become an apprentice today. Then she'd go on all the patrols she wanted!

Olivenose stood and padded off to the entrance tunnel. "That's enough talking, now, it's time to go learn! Come on, slowpaws!"

"Coming!" Ravenpaw called, hurrying to catch up.

"Show-off," Snarlpaw muttered, following his brother with Snowbird.

A rustling noise right next to her made Blackkit jump with surprise. To her relief, it was just Rowanclaw coming out of the nursery again, not a hungry fox. He shook out his pelt and headed off to the fresh-kill pile.

A moment later, Blackkit heard an anxious voice from within the nursery. "Bronzekit! Where's Blackkit? Did you see her? Is she in the nursery?"

That's my cue to leave, Blackkit thought. With a sigh, she slipped back into the nursery through a hole in the bracken wall. The hole led straight into an empty pile of moss, where she pretended to sleep whenever she felt like sneaking out early.

Feigning a yawn, she burrowed deeper into the moss. "I'm here, Leopardstep!" She called, knowing that her voice would be muffled.

"Blackkit?" A firm set of jaws picked her up by her scruff and set her down next to Leopardstep's nest. "Why were you sleeping there again? Didn't I tell you that you'll get a cold from that drafty hole?"

Blackkit gulped, but still pretended to be drowsy, as if she'd just woken up; hoping against hope that her ruse wouldn't be discovered. "Sorry, Leopardstep... I just felt a little crowded in our nest, so I decided to sleep somewhere else. I'm still in the nursery, so it's not breaking the rules, right?"

She held her breath. To her relief, Leopardstep just gave her a lick between her ears. "Don't do that again, Blackkit." She sighed. "Although you won't be able to. You're becoming an apprentice tonight!"

"What? Oh yeah!" Bronzekit's head popped up out of his tiny nest of moss and feathers. "Aren't you excited? I am!"

"Of course!" Blackkit purred. No more sneaking out at dawn - she could get up whenever she felt like it!

Leopardstep nudged Snowkit with her paw. "Hey, Snowkit. Come on, it's time to get up!"

Snowkit yawned and moaned, "But it's too eeaarrlyyy!"

"The sun came up ages ago!" Blackkit said, leaping in to join her sister in the nest. Snowkit was still curled up in a tight ball, muttering something about clouds. "Come on Snowkit, come and play! You didn't get to play shadow-cats with us yesterday."

Bronzekit growled. "That game was ruined. We are _not _playing that again."

Snowkit reluctantly got to her paws and stretched, arching her back and flexing her claws. "Fine, I'll get up. But only if you promise we can do something that _I _want to do today."

Blackkit didn't even think about what that was supposed to mean. "All right, sure!"

"Let's go." Leopardstep was already squeezing through the entrance. "Or all the good prey will be gone!"

Blackkit, Bronzekit, and Snowkit exchanged glances, then hurried to follow.

By sunhigh, Blackkit was confused to the point of stumbling around cross-eyed. Snowkit was not joking when she said "do something that _I _want to do". Right after they ate, Leopardstep let the kits do whatever they wanted while she went hunting, adding in that if she heard anything bad had happened to them she would delay their apprentice ceremonies. To Blackkit and Bronzekit's surprise, Snowkit led them off to the medicine den. When Blackkit asked her what they were going to do there, Snowkit only said "improve our digestion," whatever that meant. She even assured them that Littlecloud fully approved, as she did this every morning.

It turned out that you had to eat bitter-tasting herbs, then stretch out on the floor, belly-up, and go to sleep.

After half and hour, Snowkit decided that they had "digested" enough, and she gave them a short lecture on several dozen herbs and other materials and how they could be used to sense the "future vibrations". When Bronzekit asked her what the heck that was supposed to be, she snapped that sensing future vibrations helped you to predict what was going to happen and did he want to learn or not? When Bronzekit apologized and said that yes, of course he wanted to learn, Snowkit only huffed and ordered them to mix this-and-this and combine that-and-that and sniff the whole mixture and do complicated things with it relating to the ground, then throw it in the air and shuffle it around sixteen times with their left paw. Blackkit didn't think she had ever been more puzzled in her whole life, but it didn't end there.

"Are you ready to pierce the veil of the now and peek into the muddle of the future?" Snowkit asked in a spooky voice.

"Uh... yes," Blackkit answered hesitantly.

"Then read the signs and listen to what the herbs tell you!" Snowkit proclaimed in a thunderous voice.

Bronzekit and Blackkit stared as hard as they could at their mixtures. Snowkit did the same. A minute passed. Then another. And then five more.

After fifteen minutes, Blackkit gasped. "I see something!"

"What? What did you see?" Bronzekit and Snowkit asked breathlessly.

"I see..." Blackkit gulped. "I see..." She peered harder at the mixture. Full moon (an acorn cap), bloody paws (water dripping from a pair of twigs), a cat's face that was scarred beyond recognition (made of moss and pine needles), two tiny cats (clumps of grass) separated from a third by a gouge in the dirt. It seemed obvious what it meant, now that her vision seemed to shift and she could see the signs with perfect clarity. "At a Gathering, a cat will be accused of hurting another cat, and a group of three will be separated, possibly forever."

"Let me see," Bronzekit demanded, crouching over the mixture. "What makes you say that? I didn't see anything in my picture!" He and Snowkit peered closely as Blackkit described what she saw. At the end, Bronzekit just looked confused, while Snowkit said in a normal voice, "I think you must be reading something wrong, Blackkit. My herb mixture said that at a Gathering, wind and darkness will unite against lightning, but the lightning will prevail only because the water supported it. I think it's obvious what it means, right? ThunderClan will win an argument against WindClan and ShadowClan only because RiverClan will support them. No offense, but I've been doing this for moons, but you've only been doing it for a day - although it's all right, you know. Herb reading takes practice." Her voice was almost sympathetic.

"Yeah, Blackkit, just admit you're wrong," Bronzekit said grumpily.

Blackkit suddenly felt very, very angry. Why were her brother and sister so convinced that she was just stupid? Snowkit was just being nice by teaching them what she knew, but as soon as Blackkit seemed to get something right, both Bronzekit and Snowkit told her that she was wrong.

But instead of letting her anger out, like she usually did, Blackkit took three deep breaths. One, two, three. Just like Blackstar had said two days ago, when he caught her sleeping outside the nursery because she was furious with Jadekit for stealing the best piece of thrush, and she didn't want to be anywhere near that stupid she-cat.

"All right, let's go learn how to use various animal bones to tell us what animals will bring us good luck and what animals we should avoid..." Snowkit commanded, already padding off to the fresh-kill pile.

Five minutes later, Blackkit and Bronzekit were back to being hopelessly baffled.

After sunhigh, Snowkit finally let them take a break from her strange lessons. Blackkit plopped down next to Bronzekit and sighed. "Have you ever wondered where Snowkit learns all this stuff?" she asked her brother.

"Nope. Haven't got a clue." Bronzekit shrugged. His coppery fur shone in the sunlight, highlighting the darker ginger streaks along his flanks and back. There were white markings on his head and paws. "But it's pretty weird, don't you think? I mean, while we're off playing with Jewelkit and the others, she's practicing fortune-telling..."

"I thought it was pretty cool. I never realized our sister was this smart." Blackkit rolled over, sunning her left flank. "I'm glad she taught us today."

"Hey, you two! I think I've taught you plenty today, so we can do whatever you want now. Did you enjoy my lessons?" Snowkit sat down next to Blackkit. She seemed almost shy to be asking.

"Of course!" Blackkit replied. "It's really cool. I'd like it if you taught me some more." Bronzekit groaned, and she shot a glare at him.

"Really?" Snowkit brightened. "Thanks, Blackkit! It's just 'cause you guys all play without me now, and I thought maybe you didn't want me to be your sister anymore." She shuffled her paws around a bit, looking very awkward.

Bronzekit looked up, startled. "What? No! Of course we're happy that you're our sister. We're littermates, remember? We're the only ones who aren't from ShadowClan." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "We've got to stick together, right? No matter what. And maybe when we're all grown up, we can go to the Tribe of Rushing Water and find our father."

Snowkit purred and pressed herself closer to Bronzekit. "Thank you."

Blackkit frowned. "Didn't Blackstar say that her dying words were, 'We are from the Tribe. Please, name my kits Blackkit, Bronzekit, and Snowkit. Tell them I love them.' Or something like that?"

Bronzekit shrugged. "There aren't any other Tribes out there, so... I guess we're mountain cats." He narrowed his eyes mischievously. "Hey, imagine going eagle-hunting! And jumping off ledges! And playing in the snow..." He trailed off. "I wish we could all see snow. I bet it would be awesome."

Before Blackkit or Snowkit could say anything, a voice sounded form behind them. "Hey, guys! Whaddarya doin'? I saw you were busy all morning." It was Moonkit. "D'ya wanna play now?"

To everyone's surprise, it was Snowkit who answered. "Yeah, sure! Where are the others?" she asked, her eyes shining.

Moonkit was slower to hide his surprise than either Blackkit or Bronzekit. "Uh... they're waiting by the entrance tunnel. We're going to ambush the sunhigh patrol."

"Excellent!" Bronzekit jumped to his paws. "Wait... is Yewkit there?"

"No, Ivytail's giving him a licking. He fell in a mud puddle today." Moonkit smirked and pointed with his tail to the nursery, where Yewkit was trying to untangle himself from his mother's paws.

Blackkit laughed. "What a loser. Let's go get that patrol!" She bounded off, not waiting for the others to follow.

"Shhhh!" Jadekit hissed at her from behind the large boulder right outside the tunnel as she arrived. "We can't let them know we're waiting."

"They're not even here," Blackkit responded, suddenly feeling very irritated. "So get off your tail and move over, because I need a place to hide!"

"There's no need to be mean," Snowkit whispered, flicking Blackkit's flank with her tail. "Come on, let's hide under those ferns."

They ducked under the sprawling ferns that Snowkit had pointed out. Bronzekit and Moonkit hid behind a patch of brambles. As soon as their tails whisked out of sight, Blackkit heard the sunhigh patrol approaching the camp.

"I'm starving!" Snarlpaw was complaining. "Why couldn't we hunt on our way back?"

"Because we need to report to Blackstar. There were ThunderClan scents very close to the border again." Olivenose replied calmly.

"Do you think ThunderClan was really crossing the border, or were they just trying to intimidate us into retaliating prematurely?" That was Ravenpaw's high-pitched voice.

"Good thinking, Ravenpaw. You're right, that's possible, too." Snowbird sounded impressed with her apprentice.

Brambles rattled as the patrol entered the tunnel. "Get ready," Jadekit whispered to the others. "We'll attack in five..."

"I hope there's prey left on the freshkill pile," Snarlpaw muttered.

"Four..."

Someone snorted. "There's always prey on the freshkill pile in greenleaf, you mousebrain." It was Ravenpaw.

"Three..."

"There's no need to argue," Snowbird interjected.

"Two–"

"But Ravenpaw–"

"One! ATTACK!" Jadekit yowled. With a mass explosion of sound, the six kits leaped from hiding. Snowkit and Blackkit headed for a very surprised Ravenpaw, while Bronzekit and Moonkit jumped on Snarlpaw, who was leading. Jadekit and Jewelkit leaped for Snowbird.

"Mrreowr! Help!" Snarlpaw yowled. "We're being ambushed by kits!"

Several warriors had emerged from their den, looking startled. With a disgusted snort, Toadfoot muttered, "Kits these days. No respect for their betters."

"You were like that too, Toadfoot!" Crowfrost nudged his Clanmate. "Besides, those are my kits."

"And?" Toadfoot growled. "Snarlpaw and Ravenpaw are _my _kits."

Blackkit tried to block out the voices of the warriors and instead concentrated on the apprentice in front of her. She pummeled Snarlpaw's black fur, not unsheathing her claws, and gently nipped at his ear. He struggled to force her off of him, but Snowkit wrapped her paws around his neck and yowled, "Surrender!"

"Never!" Ravenpaw gasped, trying to shake her off, but the sisters held firm.

Ravenpaw was similarly apprehended. Bronzekit was pressing a tiny claw to his throat while Moonkit bit on his tail. Snowbird had managed to wriggle free of the kits, and she and Olivenose watched with amusement as Jadekit and Jewelkit helped to subdue the apprentices.

"Beaten by a patrol of kits," Snowbird purred.

Olivenose snorted. "A patrol of kits that's about to become apprentices. These two are already almost the size of Ravenpaw, and Ravenpaw's three moons older!" She pointed with her paw at Bronzekit and Moonkit. Blackkit was proud that her brother was considered big for his age. He would definitely be a great warrior.

"All right, all right, settle down," Blackstar growled, appearing beside Snarlpaw and his assailants. "You can let them up now, kits. Snarlpaw and Ravenpaw... I'm frankly quite disappointed that a pair of apprentices couldn't fight off four kits. That really says something about your strength."

"We were ambushed, Blackstar," Ravenpaw mewed, gently pushing Bronzekit off his face. "It was very well planned."

"And Snarlpaw, could you tell me why it was so well planned?" Blackstar addressed the black tom.

"Because they ambushed us right at the entrance to the tunnel, while we were all in single file and unable to defend ourselves," Snarlpaw replied grudgingly.

Blackstar raised his voice so that all could hear. "Let this be an example of how to defend our camp against invaders!" he meowed. "These kits did a good job of apprehending these 'intruders'." Turning to the kits, Blackstar added, "I think it's time that they were made apprentices. There's no need to wait until sundown, everyone's here now."

Snowkit gasped. "Apprentices? _Now?_" She turned to Bronzekit and Blackkit. "But we aren't ready!"

"What's there to be ready for?" Blackkit snorted. "You just go through a ceremony, and that's it."

"But - but - but my fortune readings! My supplies! I have to go pack up my animal bones and move them to the apprentices den!" Snowkit rushed off without waiting for anyone to comment. Blackstar watched her go with an amused expression.

Jewelkit suddenly leaped to her feet. "Yewkit! Where is he? I need to tell him!" She also rushed off to the nursery.

Blackstar only shook his head as he stalked over to the overhanging tree branch that was located directly above his den in the roots of the tree. He sprang onto the branch and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join together under the Highbranch for a Clan meeting!"

The few cats who weren't already out of their dens came out, yawning and grumbling. However, they all stopped after they realized why there were four kits standing right under Blackstar's branch. Blackkit swallowed nervously as Lynxpaw, Whitewater, and Tallpoppy stared at her and the others, whispering. She hated being the center of attention.

Blackstar waited a few moments as Yewkit, Jewelkit, and Snowkit dashed out of the nursery and took their places, frantically pursued by Leopardstep and Ivytail, who were trying to lick their fur into place. They stopped, however, when they saw the whole Clan watching them, and quickly took their places behind their kits.

"Right," Blackstar said, his tail tip twitching. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the apprenticeship of these seven kits. They have all come of age, and proved that they are ready to take on their new duties." He sprang to the ground and padded over to Yewkit. "From this day on, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Yewpaw. Your mentor will be Rowanclaw. I hope Rowanclaw will pass down all he knows to you." There was a ripple of surprise; usually the deputy did not take on an apprentice unless he saw promise for the kit. Yewpaw looked very pleased with himself.

"Rowanclaw, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Jaggedtooth, and you have shown yourself to be quick-thinking and determined. You will be the mentor of Yewpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Yewpaw."

Rowanclaw stepped forward and bent down to touch noses with Yewpaw. If he was surprised at Blackstar's choice, he didn't show it. Blackkit fidgeted impatiently, knowing that she'd have to wait through Ivytail's three other kits before it was Bronzekit's turn, and then her turn.

Blackstar repeated the same ceremony with Jadekit, who became Jadepaw, Applefur's apprentice. Jewelpaw became Dawnpelt's apprentice, while Moonpaw became Tigerheart's apprentice. Moonpaw looked slightly intimidated to have Tigerstar's grandson as his mentor, but if Tigerheart had any doubts about Blackstar's choice, he kept them to himself.

Finally, Blackstar got to Bronzekit. "From this day on, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Bronzepaw. Your mentor will be Toadfoot. I hope Toadfoot will pass down all he knows to you. Toadfoot, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Snaketail, and you have proven yourself to be courageous and loyal. You will be the mentor of Bronzepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Bronzepaw."

Bronzepaw's tail quivered with excitement as he stretched up to touch noses with Toadfoot. Toadfoot looked surprised but pleased with Blackstar's choice; Blackkit assumed that Blackstar hadn't told him beforehand. She honestly thought that mentor-apprentice combination would be a bit awkward, since Toadfoot was supposed to be their foster father as Leopardstep was their mother, but he never really paid much attention her, Bronzepaw, and Snowpaw. But they seemed fine with it.

Blackstar nodded with approval as the pair stepped back; then he turned to Blackkit. She felt her paws trembling, and stilled them with some difficulty. Blackstar fixed his piercing gaze on her and said, "From this moment on, until she had earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Blackpaw. I am ready for an apprentice, and I will be your mentor. I will pass down all I know to you." He bent down to touch noses with her, and Blackpaw unfroze long enough to stretch up and touch the tip of her pale, pink nose to his black one. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Blackstar? Her mentor? As far as she knew, he had never had an apprentice. And didn't leaders only take on apprentices when they saw something special in them? Blackpaw's thoughts whirled around in her head like... like leaves chased by the wind. She could barely hear Blackstar saying, "Littlecloud, is there something that you wanted to speak to the Clan about?"

Wait. What?

Littlecloud stepped forward. "Cats of ShadowClan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown inquisitiveness and forethought. Your next medicine cat will be Snowpaw."

"Snowpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Littlecloud?" Blackstar asked.

Blackpaw turned to look at her sister. To her disbelief, Snowpaw's eyes were shining with excitement and happiness. "I do." But didn't she care what Blackpaw and Bronzepaw would think about her leaving them to be a medicine cat? Why didn't she tell them?

Littlecloud continued. "Then at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats."

"The good wishes of ShadowClan go with you." Blackstar's eyes glinted with... was it sympathy? Happiness? Or something else? Blackpaw couldn't make out what those eyes were saying.

The whole Clan seemed to rouse itself from a stupor as it realized that the ceremony was over. Yowls of "Yewpaw! Jadepaw! Bronzepaw! Moonpaw! Blackpaw! Jewelpaw! Snowpaw!" filled the air, and several starlings called in alarm as they arose from the branches overhanging the camp. Blackpaw gazed at Bronzepaw and Snowpaw, and they gazed back at her. She couldn't believe they were finally apprentices. It was all just so... fast-moving. She felt as if she was in a dream.

"Well, we're apprentices," Bronzepaw finally said, grinning. "How about it, huh? And you - your mentor is Blackstar himself!" He tried to hide it, but Blackpaw thought she could hear a note of jealousy in his voice.

"Don't sound so surprised." She wrinkled her nose at him. "But I was surprised, too. I mean... why?"

Snowpaw shrugged. "Maybe you should ask him."

Blackpaw frowned at her sister. "Ask him? No way! He... he sort of scares the daylights out of me. Sometimes." she half-whispered, afraid to admit her weakness. But Bronzepaw looked understanding, and Snowpaw was sympathetic.

"I know," she murmured. "He's a bit intimidating, isn't he?"

"But you!" Blackpaw's voice rose again. "Why didn't you tell us you wanted to be Littlecloud's apprentice?"

Snowpaw seemed to wilt a little under Blackpaw's and Bronzepaw's accusing stares. "I'm sorry... I thought you might be mad at me and stuff. But I really feel like being with herbs, healing, sharing dreams with StarClan... it's just the right thing for me." Her eyes were pleading for forgiveness.

Despite herself, Blackpaw felt her tone soften. "We would've supported you anyway, Snowpaw. 'Cause we love you. Right, Bronzepaw?"

"Right," her brother agreed. "And we all belong together."

"Kits! Blackpaw! Bronzepaw! Snowpaw!" Leopardstep was squeezing her way through the dispersing crowd. "Oh my, I'm so _proud _of you! You're finally apprentices! And you," she turned to Snowpaw, her eyes twinkling, "You're medicine cat apprentice! How about that?" Her gaze became soft. "You're growing up."

Blackpaw suddenly felt a rush of affection for her adopted mother. "I know, Leopardstep. But we'll always be your kits." She snuggled into Leopardstep's fur, and Bronzepaw and Snowpaw did the same after a moment's hesitation. They all felt Leopardstep's rumbling purr as she curled her tail around all of them.

"Of course, my children. I love you."

"We love you too, Leopardstep."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Bronzepaw yawned and opened his eyes. It took him a moment to remember where he was. Where was Leopardstep, and where were Blackkit and Snowkit?

Wait, no - Black_paw _and Snow_paw! _They were all apprentices now!

He leaped to his feet and looked around the apprentice den, barely able to believe that the apprentice ceremony wasn't just an extra realistic dream. Blackpaw snored softly in the mossy nest next to his, while Ravenpaw, Snarlpaw, and Lynxpaw were all curled up on the far side of the den, where a bramble bush gave them privacy from the younger apprentices. Ivytail's four kits were splayed out in the worst spots, next to the entrance where everyone would step on them. Bronzepaw snorted quietly to himself. He and Blackpaw had claimed the warm, comfortable nests on the far side of the den, under an overhanging honeysuckle branch tangled with brambles, so if it rained, he and Blackpaw would be nice and dry. He reminded himself to patch up the brambles with some dead leaves and mud later - it would get colder soon.

Blackpaw yawned and stretched, extending her claws. Unfortunately, Bronzepaw's back leg was in her way, and she ended up sinking those wickedly sharp claws into his fur.

"Ouch!" he growled, kicking out and Blackpaw's front feet. She blinked her eyes open and shook her head, looking startled. "Bronzepaw?"

"You just sank your claws into me, mouse-brain!" Bronzepaw hissed, keeping his voice low in case the elder apprentices woke up. "Be more careful next time!"

"Sorry," Blackpaw shrugged, rising to her feet. "Let's go outside, it's kind of stuffy in here. Did the sun rise yet?"

"I dunno," Bronzepaw answered grouchily, leading the way out. "Make sure you step on Yewpaw's tail for me."

"Now why would I do that?" Blackpaw sounded annoyed. Bronzepaw didn't answer, but stepped on Jadepaw's back leg. She growled and twitched in her sleep. Blackpaw giggled behind him and did as he had asked. As he ducked out of the den, Bronzepaw heard Yewpaw mutter, "Stupid she-cats - never watch where they're going!"

It turned out that the sun had barely risen. Bronzepaw padded to the side to let Blackpaw through, and they started sharing tongues. Bronzepaw licked Blackpaw's back fur into place, and she licked his ear affectionately.

"What did you do last night?" she asked. "I really wanted to take a tour around the territory, but Blackstar took me to the lake and gave me a short lesson on some stuff."

"What sort of stuff?" Bronzepaw asked, suddenly curious. As always, he felt a faint prickle of jealousy that Blackpaw had gotten to be the mentor of the leader himself, but he pushed it away. She was his sister, after all, and he should be happy for her.

"Oh, just about the lake and the history of the Clans," Blackpaw answered evasively. "But he said we'll go on tour this morning. What about you?"

"Toadfoot let me go free last night. He said it was too late to be taking any tours," Bronzepaw replied. "So I guess we can go together!"

Blackpaw frowned. "You don't think Toadfoot will be a little... intimidated by Blackstar?"

Bronzepaw shrugged. "I don't think so. He's a senior warrior, isn't he?"

"That's true." Blackpaw licked him between his ears, and Bronzepaw ducked playfully, saying, "You're not my mother, fussypaws!"

Blackpaw's eyes glinted mischievously. "Oh, really? Well, at least I can beat you in a fight, and as far as I'm concerned, that makes me your superior."

Bronzepaw growled. "We'll see about that!" He lunged, trying to hook her paws out from under her, but Blackpaw was ready. She jumped neatly in the air, letting him clumsily scramble to his feet and regain his balance.

"See? I'm too fast for you!" she meowed smugly.

Tail tip twitching, Bronzepaw paused to consider Blackpaw with narrowed eyes. She was faster than him, it was true, but she was also smaller and thinner. He was more powerful in the shoulders and legs. Perhaps he could use that.

"Hey Blackpaw," Bronzepaw said quickly to distract her, "Why do you hate Jadepaw so much?"

He was right; Blackpaw blinked in confusion, thrown off-guard by his (admittedly good) question. He leaped at her, bowling her over, and used his paws to push her down, careful not to sink his claws into her shoulders. He then gently bit her on the scruff and said through her fur, "I win! I could have killed you just now!"

"Very good, Bronzepaw," A new voice said. Both apprentices looked up and saw Blackstar padding up to them, closely followed by Toadfoot, Applefur, and Rowanclaw. Bronzepaw got off of Blackpaw and shook his fur out, feeling pleased that these warriors had seen him best his sister. Blackpaw looked embarrassed; she licked a paw and swiped it over her ear, avoiding everyone's gazes.

"Blackpaw," Blackstar growled. "You must remember to use your advantages. Bronzepaw is strong but slower. You could have leaped out of the way, or slipped under him. As a matter of fact, I'd like to know why you didn't." He paused, and everyone looked at Blackpaw expectantly.

She kept her gaze on the ground. "He distracted me before lunging. It was a good tactic, and it worked."

Blackstar nodded. "Well done, Bronzepaw. And you, Blackpaw, for admitting your mistake, for only by acknowledging weakness can we seek to eliminate it." Bronzepaw stood up taller, proud that the leader himself had praised him. This day was off to a good start.

"Is my apprentice still sleeping?" Rowanclaw asked, his eyes narrowed. "The sun is well on its way in the sky. We must go on tour already."

"And my apprentice too," Applefur piped in.

"I think Yewpaw was stirring, but all the others are sleeping." Bronzepaw informed them.

Rowanclaw snorted and pushed his way into the apprentice den to wake his apprentice, Applefur on his heels.

Toadfoot turned to Bronzepaw. "You and Blackpaw can go get some food while the others are getting up. Er, if that's all right with you, Blackstar," He added hurriedly, looking at his leader. Blackstar nodded and got to his paws.

"I will be waiting for you behind the entrance boulder, Blackpaw. Eat quickly, please, because I'd like to get a head start." With those words, he padded off. Blackpaw gulped visibly and trotted over to the rather small fresh-kill pile, Bronzepaw close behind her.

"I don't hate Jadepaw," Blackpaw said suddenly as she picked up a shrew from the pile.

Bronzepaw chose a nice plump mouse and settled down a tail-length from the fresh-kill pile. "Don't you?" he asked.

Blackpaw frowned as she started eating. "No. I just find her somewhat... annoying. Sometimes. She's not a bad cat, she just rubs me the wrong way."

"Gee," Bronzepaw said between bites. "You seem really eager to prove yourself to me." He rolled his eyes at Blackpaw's glare.

"Ouch! Yes, yes, Rowanclaw, I'm coming!" That was Yewpaw, stumbling out of the apprentices' den with a groggy expression. Jadepaw, who was right behind him, looked faintly shocked at his annoyed tone.

"This is the _deputy _you're talking to!" she hissed, loudly enough for Bronzepaw to hear.

Yewpaw snorted just as Rowanclaw came out. "He's my mentor, isn't he?"

"And that gives you an excuse to not show respect?" Rowanclaw asked coldly. Yewpaw jumped and turned, his eyes widening.

"Oh! Er, sorry, Rowanclaw, I didn't mean..." He trailed off under his mentor's hard gaze.

"Let's go, we're leaving now," Rowanclaw snapped.

Yewpaw opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and followed the deputy, casting a jealous glance at Bronzepaw and Blackpaw. Bronzepaw smirked back at him.

"Right, I have to go," Blackpaw said, hurriedly giving her whiskers a quick wash. "Blackstar's waiting. See you later, Bronzepaw!"

"But –" Bronzepaw didn't finish his sentence as Blackpaw dashed off. He gazed after her, dismayed. He'd hoped that she would come with him and Toadfoot.

Speaking of Toadfoot...

"Come on, Bronzepaw, finish up," his mentor said impatiently, coming up behind Bronzepaw. "We have to get started on the territory. Once we finish, we might be able to go on a patrol."

Bronzepaw leaped to his feet, the mouse forgotten. "A patrol? Really?" he asked excitedly.

Toadfoot's whiskers twitched. "Yes, but we have to hurry. Come on." He turned away and started walking off, not waiting for Bronzepaw to follow. Bronzepaw had to hurry to catch up, and by the time he did, they were both already out of camp.

He looked around, enthralled. The forest seemed more alive than it had ever been from behind the dense camp walls. Pine trees loomed all around him, interspersed with the occasional oak or holly trees (according to Leopardstep, that's what they were called). Birds fluttered and called from branches high above him, and the ground was littered with dead pine needles. On the surface, the forest seemed still, but Bronzepaw was attuned enough to hear the minute rustlings of the breeze passing through the sparse undergrowth, and the gentle crunch of Toadfoot's paws on some dead leaves.

"Intimidated?" Toadfoot asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "The territory always seems exciting on your first tour."

"How do you get up to those tippity-top branches?" Bronzepaw asked, craning his neck to see the strip of blue sky just visible beyond the pines.

Toadfoot stared at him like he was crazy. "You climb. Duh."

"But how do you climb?" Bronzepaw persisted. "I mean, that bark looks much too slippery for you to just... I dunno, run up it, or dig in with your claws, or whatever." He scowled as Toadfoot laughed. "What's so funny?"

"You," Toadfoot said in between laughs. "Seriously? You expect cats to run up trees? Bronzepaw, you have a lot to learn..."

"Well, then, let's get started!" Bronzepaw said impatiently. He scurried up the slope ahead of him and stopped suddenly. For before him, a few hundred tail-lengths away but still visible, was the grey-blue lake, soft-looking as rabbit fur.

"Don't run off like that," Toadfoot warned, climbing up to stand next to Bronzepaw with ease. "You don't know if there's danger around the corner."

Bronzepaw snorted, not tearing his eyes away from the water. "Danger? This close to the camp? Puh-lease."

To his surprise, his mentor started to bristle. "With that attitude, you're as likely to get killed as a bird staggering around with a broken wing!" Toadfoot snarled. "Always be cautious, even if it's your own territory. You never know if there's a fox den around the corner."

Bronzepaw looked down at his paws and muttered, "Yes, Toadfoot." It was just his luck that he'd be told off five seconds into the tour.

"Come on then." Toadfoot spun around and stalked off, not bothering to wait for Bronzepaw to follow.

"Yes, Toadfoot." Bronzepaw plodded after his mentor, ears down, tail drooping. This day was already going to be horrible, he knew it.

They trekked on in silence. Toadfoot stayed a few pawsteps ahead of Bronzepaw, occasionally flicking his tail over his nose. Bronzepaw knew better than to protest. He just listened in silence as Toadfoot pointed out the training clearing, a sheltered hollow scattered with dried needles, pebbles, and sand, surrounded by a rare patch of brambles; the Squirrel Tree, an enormous oak close to the lake that was a prime gathering place for squirrels; the Bird Glade, a group of pine trees with thick branches that served as a home to very many birds; and of course, the greenleaf Twoleg place and the Twoleg nest. The nest had been abandoned several months prior, and nobody had seen the two kittypets that lived there for a long time, but ShadowClan cats still avoided it. Bronzepaw thought it was creepy but a little cool, too.

"Toadfoot," he said as they began the journey home after touring the borders. "Why do ShadowClan and ThunderClan hate each other so much?"

Toadfoot turned his head without slowing down. "There has always been a traditional rivalry between the Clans. ThunderClan believes us to be fierce, intimidating, prideful, dishonest, sneaky, and cowardly. They think that they themselves are brave, honorable, noble, and so on. But that doesn't mean that we are entirely bad, or that they are so good. Several ShadowClan cats were taken lured to the Dark Forest by the promise of higher battle skills with no restrictions. ThunderClan cats are also corrupt, friendly, and stupid. They believe that there is good in everything, and that serving your Clan and the warrior code, even dying for it, is the best thing you can do."

"But even if you die for something, and your death is brave and heroic, and everyone admires you for following the warrior code to your death, at the end of the day, you're still dead," Bronzepaw observed.

"True." Toadfoot nodded as he stopped in the middle of the trail, nearly causing Bronzepaw to run him over. "Which is why we've never agreed with ThunderClan on the meaning of heroism and courage. We are suspicious, but we are not stupid. We do not go into a clearly lost battle just to prove our 'worth'. That is what they do not understand. They try to be those things, but with the death of Firestar, they've degraded into a bunch of friendly, judgmental, gossipy, ordinary, boring cats. They do not really know the difference between good and evil anymore. They live for their own personal gain and comfort, and the warrior code comes second. That is part of the reason why Firestar did not reveal the Prophecy of Three until the last moment; he predicted their reaction of being suspicious, scared, stupidly believing themselves and their family to be saints while everyone else is prone to corruption. Can you imagine ShadowClan doing that?"

Bronzepaw thought for a moment, then shook his head. "So ThunderClan tries to be honorable and loyal and brave, but now they're just worried about their own boring, ordinary, gossipy lives rather than actually trying to do some good in the world?"

Toadfoot tilted his head, appraising Bronzepaw with his narrowed eyes. "That's not entirely it, but yes. It occurs in the other Clans too, of course - even ShadowClan - but we see the danger of succumbing to the soft life of peace, and we are always wary for trouble." He paused for a moment. "Do you understand?"

Bronzepaw nodded, curling his tail over his paws as he sat carefully. "I think I do. But I need to digest it some more. You have given me much to think about. Thank you, Toadfoot."

His mentor said approvingly, "Good. You'll do, I think. But please do not mention this conversation to anyone else... other ears could wrongly mistake it for treason."

"But what about Blackpaw? I mean, can I tell her?" Bronzepaw silently berated himself for his whiny tone, but he couldn't help it. "Please?"

Toadfoot considered it for a moment. "I suspect that Blackstar may have told her much the same thing. He is a good, wise, and cautious leader, and in fact I learned much of what I just told you from him. So if you want, you can. But I don't think she'll be surprised."

"Okay." Bronzepaw sprang to his feet, suddenly realising that he was ravenous. "It's after sunhigh! Can we go eat?"

Toadfoot chuckled and also rose. "Of course. There's a Gathering in a quarter moon, you know; we can practice some basic techniques for hunting and stalking so you don't embarrass yourself in front of the other Clans."

"Great!" Bronzepaw brightened up, suddenly feeling much cheerier. "Let's go to camp!"

"All right. Lead the way."

He bounded off, leading his way unerringly back to camp. As he entered the camp and glanced back, he felt a warm glow at the pleased look on his mentor's face.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is split in two; the next chapter picks up directly where this one leaves off.  
**

**Chapter 4**

Blackpaw glared at Blackstar.

"Why can't Snowpaw go to the Gathering?" she demanded. "Her cold's almost gone now! And this will be our first time; we should go together, since we're sisters!"

Blackstar sighed, his patience starting to wear very, very thin.

"Blackpaw, be silent," he growled. "Snowpaw has never been in the best of health... both physically and... ah... mentally. Littlecloud and I have decided that she is in no condition to go. She can go next moon."

"Mouse dung!" Blackpaw snapped. She would never have dared to talk back to her leader and mentor, but in the last half-moon she'd gotten very good at standing up to Blackstar. "Snowpaw's fine, both in her nose _and _in her brain! She's going!"

"No." Blackstar swished his tail across the floor of his den. "If you continue to argue, then you will be forbidden to go also."

Blackpaw glared at him for a moment longer, then whirled around with a loud huff and stalked out of the den. She even had the audacity to flick Blackstar across his nose with her tail, and she was very pleased when she heard him sneeze behind her.

"Serves him right," Blackpaw muttered. "Stuffed-up old badger. Snowpaw's perfectly fine! And she's _not _insane."

Well, I _think _she isn't, she thought a little dubiously. I mean, she acts pretty normal, and she doesn't talk to herself or anything. She just have some strange habits sometimes.

"Blackpaw! Hello! Earth to Blackpaw!" She started, and suddenly realised that Bronzepaw had been waving his tail in front of her face to get her attention. "Where are you going? What did you talk to Blackstar about?"

Blackpaw shrugged. "He still won't let Snowpaw go to the Gathering. I tried to argue, _ahem,_ reason with him, but he refused. I'm going to find a way to bring her anyway, though."

Bronzepaw snorted. "You've got a way with him, you know that, right? If you weren't his apprentice, you'd be cleaning after the elders for a moon by now. He's going soft, I'm telling you."

"You mean Toadfoot told you, and you're just repeating his words," Blackpaw replied waspishly. "Stop trying to act all grown-up, it just makes you look stupid."

"I do not act grown-up!" Bronzepaw huffed. "Anyways, I'll go talk to Littlecloud, see if he'll let Snowpaw come. He's always liked me better than you."

"Not true!" Blackpaw exclaimed. "He _hates _you, from that time when we were playing in his medicine den and all the herbs got scattered around -"

"Yes, well, that was only two moons ago," Bronzepaw interrupted hastily. "But fine, whatever, you can go if you want. I'm going to go ask Toadfoot if we can hunt before the gathering."

Blackpaw glanced over at the sunset sky, filled with a myriad colours: blood-red and orange and pink and blazing yellow and a pale lavender and deeper blue and purple, on the east side of the lake, where the first stars were already appearing. There were several small clouds floating around, stained with deep crimson and fiery orange. "You're not going to have time. We'll be leaving soon. Look, everyone's starting to gather around the entrance boulder."

Bronzepaw's eyes widened in dismay as he saw Littlecloud limp out of his den to join the congregating cats. "Quick! Go talk to him! I'll meet you with Snowpaw later." With that, he bounded off to the boulder, just as Toadfoot beckoned for him with his tail. All of the other apprentices were going with their mentors, which made it quite a sizable crowd of cats.

"You're assuming that I'll be able to convince him," Blackpaw muttered. But all the same, she stood and stretched, then trotted over to Littlecloud.

"Hello, Blackpaw," Littlecloud purred. His voice was low and raspy, and Blackpaw realized with a start that his muzzle was flecked with grey. He was growing old.

"Uh - h-hi, Littlecloud," Blackpaw stammered. "Um, I just wanted to see if Snowpaw's all right, and if she can go to the Gathering after all." She braced herself for the disappointing answer she knew she was going to get.

To her immense surprise, Littlecloud gave a hacking laugh. "Snowpaw is feeling much better - she's back to her usual self," he meowed. "I think she's fine for the Gathering tonight. Besides, it'd be nice to share it with her siblings, won't it?" He gazed at Blackpaw affectionately.

As if on cue, a pale pink nose stuck itself out of the den. "Is it time to go yet?" Snowpaw asked irritably. Seeing the cats at the entrance, she squeaked, "Oh, mousedung, I'm going to be late!" A moment later, she bounced out of the den and collided with Blackpaw's flank.

"Oof!" Blackpaw grunted, jumping backwards a few steps. "Watch where you're going, Snowpaw!"

"Oh! Sorry, Blackpaw," Snowpaw apologized, getting to her feet. "But I'm just so excited! I wouldn't miss it for my life!"

"I'm sure you wouldn't," Littlecloud purred. "Now, let's go. Blackpaw, I'm sure Blackstar would want you to stay close to him; we'll be travelling through RiverClan territory, as you know..."

"Of course. Thanks, Littlecloud!" Blackpaw flicked Snowpaw's ear affectionately with her tail, then galloped off to join Blackstar, who had just emerged from the leader's den.

"Blackpaw?" He gave her a questioning gaze. "Why are you in such a rush? I thought you were already ready to go."

"Snowpaw's coming!" Blackpaw explained triumphantly. "Littlecloud said it's okay for her! So ha!"

Blackstar frowned and gazed over at Littlecloud, who was walking stiffly with Snowpaw bouncing along at his side. "He didn't tell me this."

"Well, it's true!" Blackpaw said gleefully. "So I was right, and you were wrong!"

"Let's just go." Blackstar growled dismissively. He strode over to the waiting cats and lifted his tail high, signalling for everyone to follow. Blackpaw headed after the group, unperturbed by Blackstar's coldness. He was grumpy and prideful, and he hated being proven wrong. She snorted with satisfaction. It always felt great to get the best of him. With a little jolt of surprise, she realized that he was starting to be a bit like a father to her. Toadfoot had never really stuck around the three of them so much, preferring Ravenpaw, Snarlpaw, and Lynxpaw over his adopted kids. That was probably why Blackstar had considered him an appropriate choice for Bronzepaw as a mentor. Bronzepaw hadn't really cared that much about Toadfoot's rejection, instead treating him like any other cat. As she raced through shimmers of moonlight and patches of shadow, the tail-tips of the cats in front of her whisking in front of her, she reflected that she'd always felt a small grudge, a slight animosity towards the cat who was meant to be her adopted father, but felt more like a distant stranger.

Before she knew it, the patrol had reached the edge of the ShadowClan border. Blackstar halted, sniffing cautiously, at the Twoleg Thunderpath; then he gave the signal to move on, and they did. The cats' paws thudded across the Thunderpath, then clacked on the pebbles of the shore. Blackpaw sniffed the air, wrinkling her nose at the unfamiliar scent of fish and reeds and lakewater and Twoleg monsters clinging to the ground and wind and and stones. This territory felt new, unfamiliar, and strange. Unbidden, a thought rose up inside of her; she wanted to explore, to see what this place was like. She wanted to get to know RiverClan's hunting grounds, not to invade or spy, but just to gain the knowledge.

She shook off the ludicrous idea quickly and forced her paws to move even faster, in an attempt to keep up with the cats in front. What a ridiculous idea. And with all that thinking, now she was falling behind everyone else. Her legs were of medium length, her paws were strong, but she was still small.

"Slow down, I think I see ThunderClan!" somebody called from ahead of her. Blackpaw skidded to a halt, spraying tiny pebbles all over the place and grazing her paw pads painfully, but she barely noticed.

"Blackpaw! Quick! Let's go see some ThunderClan cats!" Snowpaw appeared out of nowhere and beckoned to Blackpaw with her tail, eyes shining with excitement.

"Okay!" Blackpaw wasted no time in following. They weaved and dodged until they stood at the front of the group, only the most senior warriors standing in ahead of them. There was a strange, earthy stink in the air, that had a tinge of a scent that she recognized as oak leaves and squirrel. At the same time, a patrol of ThunderClan cats appeared from the opposite side of the slope. Glancing around, Blackpaw spotted what she should have seen a while ago: the old tree-bridge, connecting the rocky shore to the island in the lake. New, strange scents filled the air, mixed with the familiar spice of crushed pine needles.

The cats... they were all different colours, from fiery ginger to white to brown tabby to grey. ShadowClan pelts were mostly darker grey or black colours, with few gingers or whites, because that made them blend in better with the surrounding pine forest gloom (not that their territory was gloomy - it was just dark, but still familiar and comforting at the same time!). They looked at the ShadowClan patrol with narrowed eyes, bristling tails, and twitching ears.

"Why do they look so mad?" Snowpaw whispered to her. "They look like they want to spit at us, or something."

The cat in front of them, who Blackpaw realized was Rowanclaw, snorted with derision. "They've always hated us. They think we're fox-hearted cowards with dark hearts and no sense of justice. Well, they're just stupid buffoons who mistake simple stupidity with courage and only want to live fat lives of ease."

Somehow, Blackpaw wasn't so sure that they were _all _that bad. But before she could make up her mind to say something, Blackstar raised his tail, signalling for ShadowClan to come forward.

"Bramblestar!" he called. "Your patrol is large tonight. Or is it the fatness of your cats' pelts? I can't tell."

Snowpaw gasped. "He talks like that to their _leader?"_

"I'm starting to get the feeling that all the ShadowClan warriors talk like that," Blackpaw muttered grimly. But deep inside, she couldn't help looking at the ThunderClan cats and agreeing. They _did _look fat, and most of their gazes showed only uncertainty and ignorant fear. They don't even know us, she realized. We're like eagles to them. Mysterious, unreachable, and dangerous.

"That's a weird comparison," Snowpaw muttered.

With a little jolt, Blackpaw realized that she'd spoken aloud. She seethed at herself, but only said, "Well, from what Dawnpelt said of eagles, it sounds pretty true, doesn't it?"

"I guess." Snowpaw craned her neck, searching behind them for someone. "Bronzepaw! Get over here!" she hissed.

A moment later, Bronzepaw slid to a halt next to them, just as the ThunderClan cats started to move again, crossing the tree-bridge one by one. Blackpaw realized that she'd missed how Bramblestar had replied to Blackstar's insult.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought furiously to herself. If she wasn't going to pay attention and learn more about the other cats, then what was the point of coming to the Gathering?

"Follow Jayfeather," Blackstar hissed to the rest of his patrol, as the ThunderClan patrol had almost entirely crossed the bridge. Blackpaw looked around in confusion - was Jayfeather the last one in line? - yes, he had to be, otherwise how would the follow him? Jayfeather, apparently, was a dark grey tom, who looked smallish next to the rest of the cats. He suddenly turned to look at her, and his startlingly ice blue eyes met hers for a single moment. Blackpaw shivered slightly, but he had already turned away and was scrambling across the tree-bridge. But there was something odd, something _off _about his movements...

"What's wrong with him?" Blackpaw dared to ask Rowanclaw. He turned and whispered back, "Jayfeather is ThunderClan's medicine cat. He was one of the Three who helped the Clans defeat the Dark Forest, almost three seasons ago." There was an unmistakable trace of bitterness in his voice, and she turned to see Snowpaw's eyes widened next to her as she realized whom he was talking about.

"_The _Jayfeather? The one who's blind, but can hear other cats' thoughts?" Snowpaw shuddered. "That must be creepy! What if he's listening to what we're saying right now?"

"He could be," Rowanclaw growled. "Which is why we asked Bramblestar not to let him come to Gatherings anymore. But he refused."

That's kind of unfair, Blackpaw thought, as her patrol started moving up to the tree-bridge. It's not like he had any control over his feelings. But it was still sort of creepy, to think that at the moment he turned to look at her, he might have been reading her thoughts.

"Apprentices!" The voice of Tawnypelt carried through the air as the tortoiseshell she-cat bounded up to stand next to the tree-bridge. "We'll be crossing over after Blackstar and some of the senior warriors, so you'll be in the middle! Please listen carefully!"

Seven apprentices scampered over to the she-cat, scattering dead pine needles from the previous season. Three of them didn't even bother to go over to Tawnypelt; Lynxpaw, Snarlpaw, and Ravenpaw simply leaped up to the bridge and started walking.

"Show-offs," Bronzepaw muttered to Blackpaw, his breath tickling the top of her head. She twitched her ear in agreement but didn't say anything.

"All right, listen up, please. the tree-bridge isn't as easy as it looks. The bark from the pine is pretty much gone after all these seasons, so you'll have to grip tightly with your claws, and walk in a straight line. Jewelpaw, you go first, then Yewpaw, Jadepaw, and Moonpaw. Your mentors will follow, to make sure you won't fall; then it'll be you three." She waved her tail at Blackpaw and her siblings. Everyone nodded nervously without speaking.

"Jewelpaw, up you go. I'll push you up if you need it." Tawnypelt beckoned to the small tortoiseshell. "Applefur, Dawnpelt, Tigerheart! Come on, your apprentices are waiting!"

The three mentors hurried up to watch as Jewelkit scrambled up the tree, refusing Tawnypelt's help - like a true ShadowClan cat, Blackpaw noticed. Rowanclaw had to pick up Yewkit by his scruff and deposit him on the tree, because his legs were too short for him to jump. Bronzepaw snorted with laughter, and Yewpaw's fur bristled, but he didn't say anything.

Jadepaw and Moonpaw got up without incident, followed by their own mentors. Then it was Bronzepaw's turn.

"Toadfoot! Stop trying to get over to that RiverClan she-cat of yours and get over here to help your apprentice!" Tawnypelt snapped at Bronzepaw's mentor. Toadfoot, who was already starting to make his way to the other shore, jumped back down to the ground, his fur bristling with embarrassment. Blackpaw frowned, not understanding the joke, but she saw Olivenose chuckling softly in the waiting crowd of warriors and decided not to ask, not wanting to look ignorant or stupid.

To her relief, Bronzepaw and Snowpaw managed to leap high enough that they could dig their claws into the tree roots and scramble up the rest of the way without help. Blackpaw gulped nervously, knowing it was her turn next, and wished that Blackstar was here. Then she decided she was glad he wasn't - what if she made a fool of herself, and he was there to see? He was the leader, after all!

"Don't worry," Tawnypelt said kindly to her as Blackpaw prepared to jump. "I'll help if I see you struggling." Her look was full of fondness, and Blackpaw was reminded strongly of... Leopardstep? Had she ever looked at her adopted kits like that?

No, this wasn't the time to think of it. Blackpaw bunched her hind legs together and leaped as high as she could.

To her intense surprise, she managed to snag her paws on one of the protruding roots very near to the top of the bridge. She strained to dig her back claws into the trunk and was rewarded as she scrambled up to the top, barely out of breath. Some of the cats murmured appreciatively.

"Good job, Blackpaw! Now start walking!" Tawnypelt called up to her. Blackpaw looked down and suddenly realized how very, very far down the ground looked. Swallowing nervously, she dug her claws in a little tighter and began walking stiffly in a very straight line, toward the far shore.

The lakewater lapped eerily, only a few tail-lengths below. Blackpaw looked down despite herself and saw the dark water shining in the light of the full moon. Pushing down her queasiness, she looked up at the sky and noted that there were only a few wisps of clouds in the sky.

A tremor suddenly shook the tree. She gasped and almost lost her grip on the smooth wood, thinking wildly that the earth was shaking apart. But no, as she looked back she saw that it was only Tawnypelt; the tortoiseshell nodded reassuringly to Blackpaw.

I can do this, Blackpaw thought. She started walking again, looking down to make sure her paws travelled down a very straight line. Just keep moving, just keep moving...

As a result, she almost walked into a branch. Blackpaw looked up, startled into hissing, and realized that she'd reached the thin branches spread out on the opposite shore. All the other apprentices were already waiting for her to jump.

"Come on, Blackpaw! You can do this!" Bronzepaw called.

"Fail, Blackpaw! Fall and die!" someone else yowled. Blackpaw narrowed her eyes, expecting it to be Jadepaw, but no - a strange cat had been watching her progress from the shadows under the trees, a little further in.

"I hope you break your neck!" she shouted back, springing neatly to the pebbly shore. The cat's eyes flashed with anger, but as a few cats glanced over to see whom she'd been yowling at, the stranger whisked around and disappeared into the undergrowth.

"Blackpaw, are you all right?" Snowpaw darted forward anxiously. "You didn't hurt yourself, or anything? I know I almost died of fright!"

"I'm fine," Blackpaw muttered. "Stop fussing over me, you're not my mother!"

"Well done, Blackpaw. Now we must wait for the other warriors to come before we travel to the central clearing," Blackstar rumbled, walking over. Littlecloud wasn't far behind, although he was limping slightly.

It only took a few more minutes for the rest of the ShadowClan patrol to arrive on this side of the bridge. The patrol was made up of Blackstar, Littlecloud, Rowanclaw, Applefur, Dawnpelt, Tigerheart, Tawnypelt, Olivenose, Snowbird, and Toadfoot - all the mentors of the apprentices, except for Oakfur, who had a slight cold. Tawnypelt, was selected as his replacement.

"Let's go. We're already late as it is," Blackstar growled to the patrol. "I think everyone else has arrived."

"Well, good for them," Littlecloud said calmly. "Haven't you ever heard of being fashionably late?"

Blackstar looked at the medicine cat as if he'd lost his mind. "_What?"_

Littlecloud only rolled his eyes and muttered "Never mind" under his breath.

Blackstar chose not to comment on this - instead, he led the way through, his white pelt gleaming in the undergrowth. Blackpaw hurried to keep up the pace, struggling through the dense, thorny undergrowth.

"How can ThunderClan cats even _stand _this mess?" she muttered to herself. Unfortunately, Rowanclaw heard her.

"Keep your opinions to yourself! And stay silent, no matter who speaks to you. Other warriors will try to take advantage of your youth and try to get some ShadowClan secrets out of you," he hissed, barely glancing back at her.

"Yes, Rowanclaw," Blackpaw murmured obediently, inwardly berating herself for forgetting Blackstar's instructions. He'd said much the same thing.

But a moment later, all instructions had flown out from her head. For the shadows had finally thinned, and suddenly she stood at the edge of the clearing, where all four Clans waited for the Gathering to start.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Are we ready to start the Gathering?" A large, dark brown tabby tom who was sitting in the giant oak at the centre of the clearing, had stood up. "Or do we need to, once again, wait for our tardy ShadowClan friends?"

Somehow, Blackpaw thought he used the word "friends" in the loosest possible terms.

Blackstar strode over to what must be the Great Oak and leaped lightly up into the leafy canopy, so that even his white pelt was masked in the shadows. "ShadowClan is ready to start. I don't think we can say the same of ThunderClan, though... chattering like an army of squirrels, although they arrived only moments before us." He curled his lip at the tom.

"Who is that?" Bronzepaw whispered from beside her.

"That's Bramblestar, the leader of ThunderClan!" Toadfoot whispered on the other side of Blackpaw, making her jump; she hadn't noticed him. "The grey she-cat is Mistystar, leader of RiverClan, and the brown tabby is WindClan's leader Onestar. The deputies are sitting at the base of the tree. There's Reedwhisker - the black tom from RiverClan - and the grey she-cat is Ashfur from WindClan, and the ginger menace is Squirrelflight of ThunderClan. Of course you know Rowanclaw."

"Why is Squirrelflight a menace? She looks all right to me," Blackpaw said cautiously.

"Quiet down! The Gathering's starting!" Snowbird hissed at them, turning her head to glare. Blackpaw ducked her head and clamped her mouth shut, choosing instead to look around at the other cats.

The Gathering was quite clearly divided. A bunch of small, scrawny cats who must be from WindClan huddled on the right side, casting mistrusting glances at everyone else. In the front and centre was a familiar crowd of ThunderClan cats; Blackpaw was already starting to recognise their scent. To the left, then, were the RiverClan cats. They seemed the most relaxed; sleek and muscular, with a fishy scent. She saw a couple of smaller cats, probably apprentices, talking to Yewpaw and Jadepaw, and immediately felt a stab of jealousy. They got to meet strange cats, while she was huddled at the centre of the ShadowClan patrol! It wasn't fair!

"That's enough. Let us begin," Onestar spoke from his forked branch. He sounded tired, as though this happened every Gathering. Blackstar quickly looked back at the four leaders, wondering if she'd missed anything they said. From Onestar's comment, she guessed the answer was no.

"Yes, enough bickering. Would you like to share your news, Onestar?" Mistystar asked politely. Blackpaw immediately liked her; she had a soft, kind voice, even though her hard blue eyes seemed wary of the other three leaders.

Onestar dipped his head and stepped forward, so the moonlight illuminated his pelt. Blackstar and Bramblestar gave each other glares, but stepped back so that the attention was on the WindClan cat.

"WindClan has prospered this greenleaf. We have two new apprentices: Robinpaw and Rabbitpaw." He gestured with his tail at two cats, barely older than kits, who sat at the front of the WindClan group. They were a very dark brown she-cat with blue eyes, and a grey and white tom with a strange ginger tail-tip. Both sat up straight and erect as everyone's gazes turned to them. A few cats called out greetings, but before Blackpaw could decide whether to join in, they had stopped. She noticed with a jolt that the cats looked tiny, barely older than kits. Was that what she would look like, too? Frightened and scared?

"Prey has been plentiful, and there have been no illnesses. Our borders are well guarded, and only a few Twoleg dogs have travelled across the moorland. We are ready for leaf-fall." Onestar dipped his head and stepped back again. Blackpaw glanced at the WindClan cats again and wondered at whether what he said was entirely true; the cats looked too skinny if the prey was plentiful. As if reading her thoughts, Toadfoot leaned down and whispered, "What a load of foxdung. It's obvious there have been a lot of Twoleg dogs running around; they look skinnier than ever."

"Hush!" Snowbird hissed again. "Listen!"

Mistystar had stepped forward this time. "RiverClan has also had a good season," she began. "The fish are running thick, and the Twolegs are all but gone. There was a small incident involving a bad rabbit that probably ran over from WindClan territory, but Mothwing successfully dealt with the resulting illness of one of our elders, and everyone is as healthy as ever." She twitched her tail ever so slightly, as if she wanted to add something more, but then seemed to decide against it and stepped back into the shadows. Blackpaw glanced over at the RiverClan patrol again and decided that Mistystar wasn't lying; they certainly seemed well-fed.

"Thank you, Mistystar." Bramblestar's eyes gleamed in the moonlight as he stepped out into the open. He had powerful shoulders and a fierce, inscrutable face; Blackpaw shivered slightly as she looked at him. He looked exactly like an older Tigerheart. Somehow, she knew that she would _not _want to cross him in battle. The hooked claws that dug into his tree branch looked wickedly sharp.

"ThunderClan is as strong as ever. Our borders are guarded, prey is adequate, and our lives are plentiful. There have been one or two incidents with _ShadowClan _trespassers -" he looked pointedly at Blackstar, who only curled his lip - "but our ThunderClan patrols drove them away successfully. We are strong, and ready for the upcoming leaf-fall and leaf-bare." He dipped his head almost mockingly at Blackstar and stepped back again. Blackstar returned the gesture, and also went forward, so that all four Clans could see him. Blackpaw felt a thrill of pride, and awe - he looked at least as big as Bramblestar, and he was twice as scary, too, with all his battle scars. She felt proud that this cat was her leader.

"I'm glad that this season has been quiet for all of us, considering the events of last leaf-bare," he meowed. "ShadowClan is doing better than ever. We have seven new apprentices. Yewpaw, Moonpaw, Jewelpaw, Jadepaw, Blackpaw, Bronzepaw, and Snowpaw, please step forward." He narrowed his eyes with pleasure as shocked murmurs and whispers rippled through the Clans.

"It can't be!"

"That's too many!"

"Where did all those cats come from?"

"Seven apprentices!"

"Ten, now, with the three others!"

"Impossible..."

"Trickery..."

"...must be recruiting rogues..."

"...not surprised..."

Blackpaw sat up straight and kept her chin high, meeting the challenging and accusing gazes of every hostile warrior. Her paws trembled, but she was not afraid. They couldn't do anything about it, could they? They were just jealous that ShadowClan had all these apprentices. Finally, we are besting the others, she thought gleefully. And they don't like it.

"Blackstar?" Bramblestar hissed. "Where did all these kits come from? We were aware of those four -" He flicked his tail at Ivytail's kits - "but the others are new. Whose are they?"

"That is none of your concern," Blackstar said smoothly, "and even if it was, we are not obliged to tell you anything of our Clan secrets."

The ThunderClan cats turned to the apprentices, bristling, their expressions hostile. One of them, a large golden tom, was looking straight at Blackpaw with intense dislike. She desperately wanted to shrink back into the safety of Leopardstep's fur, but instead she forced herself to meet his gaze defiantly. Her arrogance was rewarded when the tom looked away uncomfortably.

"At least tell us who their mother is," Mistystar broke in. Her voice was more patient, but she also looked troubled. "That isn't asking too much, is it?"

Blackstar gave a low, rumbling growl. "It is. But I shall tell you anyway. Their mother died when these kits were born. She identified herself as a cat from the Tribe."

Yowls of shock and anger erupted with fresh force from the other three cats. WindClan joined ThunderClan in glaring at Blackpaw and her Clanmates, and even RiverClan didn't look quite so content anymore. Several cats had gotten up and were pacing anxiously.

"From the Tribe?" Mistystar repeated. "You mean, the Tribe of Rushing Water?"

"How many other Tribes do we know of?" Blackstar hissed.

"Then we must return them to their rightful home!" Bramblestar yowled, so that everyone could hear. "It is unfair to be keeping them away from their kin, especially when they may be missed and searched for!"

"Stop lying through your teeth, Bramblestar. You're just worried that ShadowClan will finally have more warriors than your precious Clan," Onestar spoke up coolly. "However, he brings up a valid point. What right do you have in keeping them away from their rightful home?"

"This _is _our home!" Blackpaw yowled. The cats around her flinched with surprise; even she was startled at her own audacity. "Stop talking about us as if we weren't here!"

The clearing fell silent as the cats realized that she was challenging the four leaders. An expression of disbelief crossed Onestar's face.

"Do you often let your kits speak out of turn?" he asked Blackstar.

"I'm not a kit!" Blackpaw objected. Blackstar flashed her a glare, then whipped around to face Onestar.

"At least our apprentices can speak for themselves, unlike your frightened, cowardly rabbits. And I don't see what right you have to be taking away our cats. You heard Blackpaw; this is their home, and they don't sound as if they're in a rush to leave anytime soon." His tone was one of forced calm, although Blackpaw could hear the threat in his voice that meant he was very, very angry.

"Wait!" A ThunderClan cat spoke suddenly. Everyone looked around curiously at the very pale grey tom with black stripes, who was visibly trembling at the unexpected attention. "I think I know whose cats they are. Two seasons ago, there was an... ah... _trespasser _on our territory. In the darkness, I did not recognise her as a pregnant queen, otherwise I would never have driven her away. But I did, and she headed toward the ShadowClan border." He paused and flicked his ears anxiously. "It was a grave mistake, but I still think that the kits should be rightfully ours."

"That's a load of foxdung!" Olivenose jumped to her feet, yowling. Blackpaw made to spring to her feet and tongue-lash the arrogant ThunderClan tom, just to give him a piece of her mind, but something held her down by the tail.

"Please, Blackpaw, don't! There's already too much trouble here!" Snowpaw had appeared out of nowhere, and she was stepping on Blackpaw's tail, her expression pleading. Next to her, Bronzepaw also looked slightly worried.

"I can't just let that stupid tom get away with that! What kind of excuse is that, anyways? He drove away our mother! What right does that give ThunderClan to us?" Blackpaw snarled. "Let go!"

Snowpaw let go reluctantly, but Blackpaw hesitated to start shouting. She wanted to see how Blackstar would react first.

"Bumblestripe," he said, slowly and deliberately. Everyone quieted down to hear what he would say. "You are an arrogant fox-heart who doesn't deserve a mousetail, let alone the title of warrior."

"What?!" Bramblestar yowled. "How dare you insult our warriors like this?"

Mistystar also sprang to her feet. She raised her voice loudly enough so that everyone could hear her. "Enough! I have decided on a compromise."

"Pray tell," Onestar mewed sarcastically. He alone of all the leaders had remained sitting calmly on his branch. Once again, the warriors and apprentices stopped talking to hear what Mistystar had to say.

"What Bramblestar said has a grain of truth in it. If the queen was truly in their territory, and if they had given her a chance to stay with them, perhaps these kits would have been raised in ThunderClan," Mistystar began. "That didn't happen, of course, but it seems unfair that ShadowClan gets three extra apprentices, just because of one simple mistake that anyone could have made. Therefore, I think that ShadowClan should give up one of the kits."

"NO!" Blackpaw howled with rage. "You'll NEVER split us apart!"

"Quiet down, Blackpaw!" Tawnypelt and Lynxpaw had suddenly appeared behind her, and with the combined efforts of them plus Bronzepaw and Snowpaw, they were trying to restrain her. "Stop making the situation worse! This could be the only way to peace!"

"Peace!" Blackpaw spat. "What about my own inner peace? They're not taking us!"

"We only require one cat," Bramblestar meowed, his eyes glittering with malice. "I think we'll take... that one." He pointed at Bronzepaw with his paw.

"No way!" Bronzepaw immediately stopped trying to keep Blackpaw down; now he, too, was on his feet. "What are you doing?! You can't just decide our destinies for us!"

Blackpaw looked around wildly, trying to see if anyone else was agreeing with Bramblestar and Mistystar's cruel plan. A few cats looked visibly worried or upset, and the WindClan cats seemed to be muttering to themselves and throwing the ThunderClan cats occasional glares. But most were glaring at ShadowClan with hostile approval. The horrid monsters _wanted _to see this happen, even if it meant splitting up siblings.

"Bramblestar, _no. _Think of how you and Tawnypelt felt when you were split up." To everyone's apparent shock, Blackstar's voice now held a desperate note. "Look at what you're doing to the apprentices. You can't. It's cruel and heartless and wrong." Onestar nodded in agreement, his expression visibly shocked at the new development.

Pain seemed to flash across Bramblestar's face, but a moment later it was replaced by a vicious look. "You're one to talk," he snarled. "I think we've decided."

"Wait! Take me instead!" Snowpaw lunged so that she stood in front of all the ShadowClan cats. All four Clans turned to look at her with a mixture of irritation and surprise. "Don't take away Bronzepaw. Take me."

"What? No! NO!" Blackpaw yowled. "Snowpaw, they'll kill you!"

But no one was listening.

Bramblestar regarded Snowpaw coolly, then nodded. "I think she'll do."

"Please! Bramblestar, don't do this!" Littlecloud bounded up to stand beside his apprentice, despite his frail legs. "You're being utterly unfair. They don't deserve this."

"Yes, Bramblestar. I think I know how they feel." Jayfeather had spoken up for the first time, from his position near the edge of the ThunderClan group. His sightless blue eyes turned to stare straight at Snowpaw, Bronzepaw, and Blackpaw. "There has to be another way."

"Be quiet, Jayfeather," The golden tom hissed, glaring at the medicine cat. "You of all people should know that ShadowClan deserves this."

_"Lionblaze!" _someone gasped. "How could you?!"

Lionblaze shifted uncomfortably, obviously regretting his words. But it was too late; individual arguments started to break out between the cats as they argued about the decision that had been reached.

"That's enough. I think this Gathering is over. Snowpaw, come with me. You're a ThunderClan cat now," Bramblestar growled, springing from the tree. "All the other ThunderClan cats, follow Squirrelflight."

Blackpaw finally managed to break free of Tawnypelt and Lynxpaw, and she dashed over to her sister. "Snowpaw," she whispered. "Why?"

"I had to," Snowpaw murmured guiltily. "I couldn't stand to see you and Bronzepaw separated. I think I can deal with a few ThunderClan cats, don't you? I'll survive, don't worry."

"I know you will. But I still wish you could stay with us. Those horrible ThunderClan _warriors _had no right to do this," Blackpaw growled fiercely.

Snowpaw leaned back slightly, sadness making her eyes glisten. "I'll miss you, Blackpaw."

"Snowpaw!" Bronzepaw appeared from behind Blackpaw. He buried his nose in his sister's fur. "I'll miss you."

"I love you, too. All of you," Snowpaw whispered sadly. "But I have to go. Bramblestar's waiting."

"Take care, Snowpaw." Littlecloud walked up and touched his former apprentices on the flank with his tail. "Maybe you'll still get to be a medicine cat apprentice."

"I doubt it. They probably won't trust me." There was a trace of bitterness in her voice; it was strange, for she was usually so soft-spoken. "But... just don't forget me, all right?"

"Don't worry. We never will." With great reluctance, Blackpaw took a step back, motioning for Bronzepaw to do the same. Together, they stood side by side, watching as their sister was swallowed by the shadows. The last couple of ThunderClan cats brought up the rear of their patrol, casting more hostile glances at ShadowClan.

"Blackpaw." Blackstar had approached, his tail drooping slightly. As she turned, Blackpaw saw RiverClan and ThunderClan giving ShadowClan looks of distrust as they left, but she couldn't care less anymore. "I honestly should punish you for your insubordination, but I won't. You've lost enough tonight."

Blackpaw was touched by her leader's compassion; usually he was so cold and distant. "Thank you, Blackstar," she whispered, burying her nose in his chest fur. "You're like a father to me."

Blackstar stiffened with surprise, and for a few moments he seemed to be frozen in shock. But he quickly recovered, and even managed to wrap his tail around Blackpaw.

"It'll be all right. Don't worry," he said, in a failed attempt at being comforting. "You'll still see her."

But as Blackpaw turned to meet Bronzepaw's anguished gaze, she knew what they were both thinking. No matter what happened now, their world would never be the same. Nothing would. For they had lost their sister.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The sky was gloomy, with grey clouds parting only reluctantly to let in a few weak rays of sunlight. It had just stopped raining, and the ground was still damp, water dripping from the pine needles and splashing annoyingly onto Bronzepaw's already soaked pelt.

A moon ago, he would have shaken out his pelt and trudged into the apprentices' den to take a nap in his dry, mossy nest, or slunk into the medicine clearing and annoyed Snowpaw into letting him stay in shelter from the rain. But Snowpaw was gone, in the paws of those cowardly, traitorous, fox-hearted, crowfood-eating, mangy-pelted, tick-infested, horrible ThunderClan snakes. And he was alone, deprived of company, of even Blackpaw's comforting presence. She was out on patrol along the RiverClan border.

His amber eyes closed, then opened again. Bronzepaw looked down at his soaked and matted pelt and wrinkled his nose. The water had stained its normal pale brown/auburn colour to a miserable dark brown. He knew he should give himself a thorough cleaning - Toadfoot expected his apprentice to be clean whenever they went to training sessions - but right now he really couldn't be bothered.

As he watched, four more cats trotted into the camp. They were Lynxpaw, Ravenpaw, Scorchfur, and Smokefoot, back from a hunting patrol, their jaws filled with prey. The two apprentices had had a large growth spurt in the last moon, and even tiny Lynxpaw was bigger than Bronzepaw now. In fact, Bronzepaw could see a lot of similarities between Lynxpaw and Blackpaw - both were small for their respective ages, but very fierce and sharp-tongued. He was surprised they didn't get along more now... but Blackpaw had been spending a lot of time with Snarlpaw and Yewpaw. They seemed to have welcomed her into their savage little clique. In their wake, Lynxpaw bonded with Jadepaw, Blackpaw's worst enemy, and Jewelpaw and Moonpaw tended to stick with Ravenpaw. That left Bronzepaw. Alone, as always.

"Any good prey?" Tallpoppy emerged from the elders' den and stretched luxuriously, shivering slightly in the damp air. "Great StarClan, my poor old bones are creaking already! It's so cold and chilly out here!"

Ravenpaw purred as he dropped a thrush onto the sodden fresh-kill pile. "All of them are wet, but Lynxpaw got a nice fat pheasant."

"A pheasant?" Tallpoppy repeated, her gaze sparking with interest. "If it's as big as they usually are, it could probably feed half the Clan! They're rare, too."

"Well, Lynxpaw managed to pull it off." Even Scorchfur, usually so grouchy and silent, seemed admiring. "And she didn't get caught on a rope, either, which is good. I'm not sure how we would've explained that to Toadfoot."

Smokefoot and Tallpoppy laughed. Lynxpaw dropped the pheasant on the fresh-kill pile and frowned at the warrior and elder. "What's so funny?" she asked, mirroring Bronzepaw's own unspoken question.

"Oh... do you know who Hazeltail is?" Tallpoppy asked. Lynxpaw shook her head. "Well, she was a rather young ThunderClan cat, a kittypet too. StarClan knows half their cats are half-breeds and softpelts now. So, as you can expect, her mind wasn't the _sharpest _thorn in the forest, if you catch my drift." She snorted derisively, and Scorchfur snickered softly to himself.

"And so one day, she was hunting somewhere in ThunderClan territory. I didn't see this, of course, but that gossip Millie told me later; she'd been there the whole time. Hazeltail spotted a pheasant, and she, of course, got greedy and decided to catch it - as if ThunderClan wasn't fat enough on squirrels already! But unfortunately for _her, _there was a rope tied around the pheasant's leg. The bird must've escaped the Twoleg farm or something. Anyways, the end of the rope had a noose. Hazeltail pounced on the bird, missed, and the pheasant started to flutter away; but the noose was caught around Hazeltail's neck. The bird was so heavy that it dragged her upwards, and the rope choked her to death," Tallpoppy finished with relish. "Like I said, ThunderClan cats are idiotic, greedy, fat mousebrains. That stupid Millie didn't even get the pheasant, when it was clearly hindered by Hazeltail's dead weight. She just gaped like a fish for a few minutes, then _finally _got the brains to run for help. Hazeltail was dead, of course, but that's exactly what she deserved. I heard Berrynose looks a lot happier these days."

By now, all of the cats in the hunting patrol were laughing freely. Even Bronzepaw gave a dry chuckle; those ThunderClan cats really were as stupid as everyone said. But then his laughter died, as he realised that those were the kind of mousebrains Snowpaw was stuck with.

_Snowpaw. _There was another Gathering tonight, and maybe ThunderClan would let her come. It would be just like them to parade her around, rub her in ShadowClan's faces. But he'd still be able to see her, right? Blackpaw would be pleased, too, unless she'd forgotten about both her brother and her sister entirely. It was possible.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Bronzepaw heard Blackpaw's voice rapidly approaching from the thorn tunnel. "What will we tell the Clan?" he heard her ask someone.

A moment later, she emerged from behind the entrance boulder, quickly followed by Olivenose, Oakfur, and Starlingwing. "We'll tell them exactly what happened, of course." Olivenose was saying. "But I don't think we should mention -"

"Why, what happened?" Lynxpaw demanded. "Did RiverClan cross the border?"

"If they did, I'll give those fishy traitors a piece of my mind," Smokefoot growled. All traces of amusement from the four cats in the clearing were gone. They were all suddenly serious and even a bit frightening, flexing their claws and lashing their tails.

"We must speak with Blackstar first," Oakfur hissed in a low voice, glancing around the clearing. Bronzepaw curled up a little tighter, not wanting to be discovered, but it seemed that the slight movement caught Oakfur's sharp eyes.

"Bronzepaw!" he growled. "What are you doing under there? Aren't you supposed to be training?"

Bronzepaw reluctantly uncurled himself and stood up, resisting the urge to stretch his sore muscles. "Toadfoot's still on a hunting patrol," he muttered. "And I'm allowed to sleep wherever I want."

"Well, come out from under there," Olivenose said impatiently. "It's alright to eavesdrop, you know. No point in keeping it a secret now that you've been caught."

"I wasn't eavesdropping!" Bronzepaw snapped. "I was just trying to take a nap!"

"Bronzepaw," Blackpaw muttered out of the corner of her mouth, as everyone stared at him. "Be quiet."

He didn't deign that with a response and instead stood up taller under everyone else's slightly condescending gazes. So what if he was the youngest one here, besides Blackpaw? He still had a right to know what was going on!

"Bronzepaw, go back to your den. Now. Blackpaw, come with me," Oakfur meowed, his tone clearly discouraging argument. The senior warrior was small, but still fierce and scary.

Bronzepaw shot his best glare at Oakfur, spared the others a quick nod, and gave Blackpaw a jealous glance before trudging off to his den. Just before he entered, he took a moment to shake his pelt from the water; the drops sprayed in all directions. As he entered, he was glad he did so, as Snarlpaw was curled up right next to the overhanging ferns that covered the entrance. True to his name, the grouchy apprentice always snarled at anyone foolish enough to wake him from his naps, especially when that foolish someone was soaking wet. Bronzepaw had learned the hard way, after coming in from a patrol when there was rain outside and stepping on Snarlpaw's tail.

With a deep sigh, Bronzepaw curled up in his nest, his back to the entrance. He tried not to breathe in the familiar scent of Blackpaw right next to him and tried to go to sleep.

His efforts were unsuccessful. By the time the ferns rustled, signifying the arrival of an apprentice, he was as wide-awake as ever.

"Bronzepaw?" someone murmured. He curled in tighter, but pricked his ears all the same, wondering what Blackpaw had to say to him.

"Bronzepaw? I know you're awake, you know. Your ears are sticking straight up. You can't avoid me anymore."

Growling slightly, Bronzepaw sat up and turned to face his sister with a stony glare. "I'm not the one avoiding you," he meowed stiffly.

She snorted. "Oh, really? Then why is it that whenever I want to talk to you, you're always off moping by yourself where no one can find you, or sleeping in here?"

"You're the one who's always with Snarlpaw and Yewpaw!" Bronzepaw burst out. "I _never _get to talk to you, even if I want to!"

"Shhh!" Blackpaw hissed, turning to see if Snarlpaw had awoken. To Bronzepaw's relief, the apprentice only sniffled a little in his sleep, then went back to breathing deeply. She looked back at Bronzepaw and whispered, "Let's go outside of camp. That way, you won't wake anyone with your shouting. But we can't go through the clearing; Toadfoot's looking for you."

"So what do we do, fly?" Bronzepaw asked grumpily.

Blackpaw scowled. "Of course not, you idiot. There's a back entrance, I made it in case we get attacked or something. Right through here." She used her paw to push back part of the brambles of the back wall of the den, which were mostly stuffed with dried leaves and mud that provided shelter from the wind. Bronzepaw couldn't help being impressed as he saw how skillfully she'd hidden a little hole in the bramble wall; it was only visible if he looked really hard.

He followed Blackpaw's tail-tip, whisking through the hole and letting the thorns bounce back into place. They emerged in a tiny sheltered clearing, basically a gap between three pine trees, that felt drier by far than Bronzepaw's earlier spot under the holly tree. "Nicely done," he meowed to Blackpaw in a normal voice.

"Thanks," she purred, settling herself on the dead pine needles. "You know how I've always loved escape routes."

"You have?" Bronzepaw repeated, tilting his head in confusion. He never remembered Blackpaw sneaking out. Except... several memories suddenly sprung to mind: Blackkit, curled up next to a drafty hole, apparently sleeping there the whole time; Blackkit, shivering from her wet fur even though the nursery was perfectly dry; him, waking up in the middle of the night to find that there was a cold spot next to him, where Blackpaw should be, but too tired to take much notice... now he felt stupid to not realise it earlier. She had been sneaking out since the earliest days of her kithood, and he had never noticed.

She chuckled slightly, as if guessing what he was thinking. "I thought you knew, Bronzepaw; looks like I overestimated your intelligence."

"Hey, I was a kit!" Bronzepaw protested indignantly.

"So was I. And yet I was leaving the nursery at all hours of the night without anyone being any wiser."

"But - fine, whatever, you win." Bronzepaw grumbled, as Blackpaw's whiskers twitched with smug amusement. "So why did you want me to come out here, anyways?"

"To tell you what happened, of course," she replied, sounding surprised. "I suppose you do want to know, don't you?"

"Please." Bronzepaw sat down and curled his tail over his paws.

"All right." Blackpaw cleared her throat. "So... Olivenose, Ravenpaw, and Oakfur were patrolling along the RiverClan border, as you know already. We were walking along the Thunderpath when we heard a noise. We decided to split up, in case it was a trespassing RiverClan patrol, so that they wouldn't be able to get away. Olivenose and I were going to sneak up on the intruders from the direction of the forest -"

"Hang on, so there was more than one?" Bronzepaw interrupted. "Were they really a RiverClan patrol?"

"Hush, I'm getting there!" Blackpaw scolded him. "Anyway, we were approaching through a bramble thicket... and then we spotted the cats. They were really weird. Two had their fur all colored with berry juice, and their scent was unfamiliar. One had sparkly see-through paws. And one was obviously a RiverClan cat. I don't know what her name was, but I think I saw her at the last Gathering."

_"What?"_ Bronzepaw shook his head. "I don't get it. Were they loners? But then what would a RiverClan cat be doing, talking to them? And did you recognise the sparkly see-through cat?"

Blackpaw shook her head. "Nope. But Olivenose and I listened to their conversation for a while before coming out and confronting them. They were talking about ice and snow and stuff. Probably about leaf-bare or something; it was really confusing, the berry-cats had a weird accent. When we came out, they weren't surprised at all. The sparkly cat just stood up and said, 'Until next time', and then he just disappeared. The berry-cats nodded to us, and then they ran into the woods really fast... Oakfur and Ravenpaw followed their trail, but it disappeared at the far edge of the ShadowClan border, so I'm guessing they were just really weird, random loners or something. And the RiverClan cat just apologized to Olivenose for intruding and went back across the Thunderpath and into her territory like nothing happened. Olivenose didn't stop her, though, so I'm guessing they had some kind of agreement. Maybe she - the RiverClan cat, I mean - caught Olivenose on their territory or something, and Olivenose was paying back the favour..." she trailed off thoughtfully.

Shaking his head, Bronzepaw muttered, "That makes absolutely no sense. What did Blackstar say to all of that?"

"Nothing." Blackpaw shrugged. "I think he was just as confused as we are. But he said not to mention it to anyone, and just say that we caught a single RiverClan cat crossing the scent markers, but it was nothing important. You won't tell, right?" she added anxiously to Bronzepaw.

He purred with amusement. "You're my sister. Of course I wouldn't tell on you. But thanks for trusting me."

Blackpaw suddenly did the unexpected: she stood up and pressed herself into Bronzepaw, the way they did when they were little, and twined her tail with his. "Thank you for being my brother," she whispered. "Especially since Snowpaw is in ThunderClan now."

Bronzepaw had to hold back a sniffle. "I know. But thanks for being my sister, too, Blackpaw. Are we friends again?"

"Sure. But promise you won't leave me again."

"I won't."

"All right. Oh, and I almost forgot! Did Blackstar let you go to the Gathering tonight?"

-x-

Bronzepaw shivered in the chilly night breeze; it wasn't hard to tell that leaf-fall was approaching. He fluffed up his fur in an effort to stay warm and glanced over at the tree-bridge, where WindClan was still crossing. ShadowClan would be the second Clan at the Gathering tonight, because there were no cat scents drifting on the wind from the island.

Beside him, Blackpaw huffed impatiently. "What's taking them so long?" she hissed, peering over the shoulders of the cats in front of them.

"I think they've got some new apprentices that are holding up the line," Ferretclaw muttered from right behind them. "Those scrawny rabbits never learn to climb properly, like they're supposed to."

Dawnpelt, who was standing in front of them, growled without turning around. "Be fair. They live on the moors, not with trees, and you've got to admit, Ferretclaw, that any one of them could beat you in a race."

Ferretclaw snorted. "Yeah, right. I'd just leap on them and pin them to the ground and shake them so they're disoriented, and then -"

"While I hate to interrupt what is no doubt a fascinating discussion on tactics, it's our turn to go now," Tawnypelt interrupted, falling into step on Bronzepaw's other side. "Blackstar and Littlecloud are going first, and the apprentices are following right after them. Come on, we're just waiting for you."

Bronzepaw hurried forward obediently to the tree-bridge, realising that while he'd been chatting with his neighbors, WindClan had passed and now the other ShadowClan apprentices were pacing anxiously in front of the tree roots.

Jadepaw stopped padding back and forth as soon as she saw Bronzepaw and Blackpaw, who were being herded by Tawnypelt. "Finally!" she snapped. "We've been waiting for ages!"

"I highly doubt that," Tawnypelt replied coolly, as Blackpaw opened her mouth to deliver a retort. "But we have to hurry; RiverClan is coming up behind us. I wonder why they're so late, usually they're the first ones to arrive."

Blackpaw shrugged. "Maybe they got held up by a sick apprentice or something. Anyways, can I go first?" Without waiting for anyone to stop her, she sprang up onto the roots and started walking confidently down the trunk. From his point of view, Bronzepaw could barely see the glint of her claws in the moonlight as she clung to the slippery wood; he guessed that to anyone else, she'd look perfectly poised and unafraid of falling. He admired her pride.

Tawnypelt's voice broke into his thoughts. "Hurry up, we haven't got all night!" she hissed to Jadepaw. "You said you were waiting forever, weren't you? So get a move on now that you can!"

"Okay, okay," Jadepaw muttered crossly. She also sprang up onto the roots with ease and began her trip. Ivytail's three other kits followed soon after, leaving Bronzepaw alone with Tawnypelt; the rest of the ShadowClan patrol was gathered behind them.

"What about the other three?" Bronzepaw asked the tortoiseshell cat.

"They're following you. Hurry up, RiverClan's waiting!"

Without further hesitation, he jumped as hard as he could, reaching out his front paws to grab onto the wood. To his surprise, he leaped so high that he almost lost his balance when he landed. It seemed that he'd gotten a lot stronger over the last moon... apprentice training was paying off.

It didn't take long for him to cross to the other side, where the other apprentices plus Blackstar and Littlecloud were waiting. He landed on the pebbly shore with a loud clacking noise, as the stones were dislodged by his weight.

"Move," Blackstar growled. Bronzepaw did as he was told, and a moment later, Lynxpaw landed where he had been standing. He couldn't help wondering what Blackpaw ever saw in that grouchy old leader. Was it seriously that hard to say "Lynxpaw needs to jump, could you please step out of the way"? How could Blackpaw even stand him?

The rest of the ShadowClan patrol crossed over quickly, as the experienced warriors crossed the bridge with lithe ease. Blackstar appraised his cats for a few moments, then waved his tail, signalling for them to follow him. Then he disappeared into the undergrowth, Littlecloud trotting stiffly behind him.

He was about to follow, but Blackpaw put her tail on his shoulder and said, "Wait."

"What?" Bronzepaw hissed, stepping to the side so that the rest of the apprentices could pass by.

"I want to see Snowpaw."

"But -" Bronzepaw blinked. "She probably won't even be here. And if she is, she'll be surrounded by ThunderClan." He spat the last word out like foul-tasting water.

"We can hide in these ferns, and when she passes we can pull her aside. She's so small I doubt the others will notice." There was a trace of pain in Blackpaw's voice. Bronzepaw thought he knew why. Snowpaw was the smallest of them a moon ago, but who knew how much skinnier, or plumper, she'd gotten with ThunderClan food?

"Fine." Bronzepaw looked behind him anxiously to see if anyone had noticed their absence. To his relief, the ShadowClan patrol had gone ahead, but the RiverClan cats were starting to cross the bridge - they needed to hide, and fast. "Quick, in here!" He ducked under an elder bush.

Blackpaw muttered something under her breath, but followed him under the leaves. "It smells like the dirtplace under here," she hissed, wrinkling her nose. "Can't we hide somewhere else?"

Bronzepaw sniffed at the ground and almost gagged; the smell was _really _strong. A WindClan cat must have gone here recently... "All right, but hurry, or the RiverClan cats will see us!"

"I know!" Blackpaw wriggled out from under the bush and slunk into a patch of ferns. "Is this better?"

"I think so." Bronzepaw sniffed cautiously, but the air smelled clean. "Move over, I don't have anywhere to hide!"

"Stop pushing!"

"I'm not!" He finally succeeded in scoring a spot close to the edge of the shadows. Now all that was left was watching the RiverClan cats cross. They seemed to do so excruciatingly slowly. First, the leader, Mistystar; then Reedwhisker; then Mothwing, and Willowshine...

"This is taking forever. When will stupid ThunderClan get here already?" Blackpaw murmured after a few minutes had passed.

"After these fat fishheads figure out the difference between one end of a fallen tree and another," Bronzepaw answered in a low meow. She giggled next to him, and his whiskers twitched. She had the funniest laugh; it sounded like she had a feather stuck in her throat.

At last, they caught a glimpse of a different group of cats on the opposite shore, grouped in front of the tree. As the last two RiverClan cats crossed over, the first ThunderClan cat - Bramblestar - leaped up onto the tree and waved his tail arrogantly, as if he was the leader of the entire forest. Bronzepaw curled his lip.

"What a show-off," he muttered. "I don't know how Snowpaw must stand him."

"Let's just hope they brought her along, even if it was to gloat!" Blackpaw hissed back. They had to keep their voices low, as those last two RiverClan cats were running down the path to the Gathering clearing, barely two fox-lengths away.

Both of them watched with ill-disguised hatred as Bramblestar made his arrogant strut across the tree-bridge, closely followed by three other cats: Jayfeather, the blind medicine cat; Squirrelflight, his mate and deputy; and _Snowpaw._

Bronzepaw gasped when he saw his sister. On the outside, she looked all right. Her white fur was sleek and groomed, her tail was fluffy, and she looked only slightly skinnier than usual. But the look in her deep blue eyes was one of despair. It was as clear to Bronzepaw as the full moon shining mercilessly above them, indifferent to the cats gathering below it. There was no lively sparkle, no curiosity, no excitement, no thoughtful gleam. All he read in her eyes was a bottomless pool of sadness.

ThunderClan had broken her.

They were going to _pay._

"Bronzepaw! What are you doing?" Blackpaw's horrified mew broke into his raging thoughts. He blinked and looked around: without even realising what he was doing, he'd already started walking towards Snowpaw. The earth behind him was gouged by his extended claws, and he also noticed that his tail was fluffed up to twice its size.

"I... Snowpaw! Look at her! She's _dead! _Can't you see what they've done to her?!" he snarled. "I'm going to get her. Wait here."

"Bronzepaw, _no! _Think about what you're doing! Bramblestar will tear you to shreds if you so much as touch her!" Blackpaw meowed furiously. "Use that puny brain of yours! We need to stay hidden, and tell her to meet us _in secret._"

He let out a low, rumbling growl, prolonging it for as long as he could to emphasize his point (that he would gladly tear Bramblestar to shreds if he so much as tried to _touch_ Bronzepaw), but reluctantly stepped back into the fern bush. Blackpaw's tail, he noted, was lashing so furiously that the whole bush rattled, but she was more successful in keeping her temper in check.

"Quit making so much noise!" Bronzepaw snapped. She obliged, but not before sending him a death glare.

They watched with barely concealed fury (at least on Bronzepaw's part) as Bramblestar jumped neatly to the island shore, then stepped aside to let Jayfeather, Squirrelflight, and Snowpaw land beside him. As he stepped aside for Squirrelflight, Jayfeather suddenly turned to gaze right at the spot where Blackpaw and Bronzepaw were hiding. Bronzepaw almost shifted nervously, but remembered to keep still at the last moment. Besides, how could the blind cat know he was there? However, he still had a distinct uncomfortable feeling as Jayfeather frowned and looked away again.

Suddenly, a horrifying thought occurred to him. "Blackpaw," he whispered without turning, "Can't Jayfeather read minds?"

"And walk in dreams, too," she answered darkly. "But I don't think he'd try it on enemy cats. ThunderClan is too _honorable _for that. Although I could tell at the last Gathering that there was something he didn't like about us... he kept looking at me, particularly."

"Same!" Bronzepaw observed Lionblaze as the golden warrior skidded clumsily on the pebbles. There were only five or so cats left after him. "I wonder why."

"I wish we could find out. I don't like how he has powers that no one else knows about. Blackstar told me that he was one of the Four that saved all the Clans... but he's still a ThunderClan enemy. I don't trust him."

"Agreed." The last ThunderClan cats had sprung to the shore, and now they formed into a line. Snowpaw, Bronzepaw noticed, was located close to the middle, so that the warriors could keep an eye on her. His heart sank; how would they pull her aside?

"Bronzepaw..." Blackpaw murmured as the ThunderClan patrol started to move towards them. "I think we'll just have to tell her we're here, and she'll need to find an excuse to join us. There's no way we're pulling her aside this way."

"Yes. Keep quiet, though, they're coming!" Bronzepaw clamped his mouth shut to avoid a string of obscenities addressed towards Bramblestar to leave it. He and Blackpaw crouched low, trying to remain as still as possible.

Finally, Snowpaw was padding slowly past their hiding place. As she walked, her tail drooping, Bronzepaw quickly reached out and batted her on the shoulder with his front paw. "Snowpaw!"

She looked at his emerging paw, her eyes wide, then immediately glanced around to see if anyone noticed. Thankfully, the other ThunderClan cats paid no heed to the white apprentice. "Bronzepaw? What are you doing here?" she hissed, ducking into his hiding place. "And Blackpaw!"

"We're waiting to see you, of course!" Blackpaw growled fiercely. "What have they done to you?"

"Nothing." Snowpaw answered too quickly. "I'm fine."

"No you're not. You're our sister, you can tell us anything," Bronzepaw mewed firmly. "What's wrong?"

Snowpaw glanced around guiltily, as though checking to see if anyone had seen her leave. "Look, it's sort of a long story, okay? Can I meet you in two nights' time, at the border of our two territories? There's a small swamp -"

"Yes, we know -"

"- that no one goes to, and our scents will be masked. Can you meet me there ad moonhigh?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

"Of course," Bronzepaw answered immediately. "We'll wait as long as we have to, if you have any trouble sneaking out."

"We'll be there, Snowpaw." Blackpaw pressed herself against her sister, a loud, rusty purr in her throat. "I'm glad we got to see you."

"I know, me too -" Snowpaw stopped and glanced back towards the path again. A voice could be heard, calling faintly. "They must be searching for me! Bramblestar warned me not to associate with you two anymore. I'll leave now, and say I went to make dirt, all right? You two follow a couple minutes later." She whispered. Before either Bronzepaw or Blackpaw could say anything else, she ducked out and ran forward, down the path to the clearing.

Bronzepaw looked around at Blackpaw. "Well, that wasn't quite the reunion I was hoping for," he said gloomily.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Blackpaw couldn't get the image of Snowpaw's lost, hopeless face out of her mind. During the two days after the Gathering, she couldn't focus on her apprentice duties or training sessions, and at last Blackstar turned her over to the elders in sheer annoyance.

"If you're going to be scatterbrained, they'll punish you better than I ever could," he had growled irritably, stalking off back into his den.

She only sighed and trudged over to where Cedarheart and Tallpoppy were sharing tongues, too distracted with thoughts about how she'd slip off to meet with Snowpaw tonight to care that they wanted to retell the story of the Great Battle yet _again._ Honestly, they were so annoying, making everyone relive that thing five times a day, when some cats were traumatized for life (like Kinkfur, who barely talked anymore) while others hadn't even been alive back then (like Blackpaw), so why should they care?

Now, she was trying to tune out Cedarheart's scratchy meow and focus on finding the ticks lodged in his back. He was talking enthusiastically, telling her and Jewelpaw (who was changing the bedding) about Ivypool's bravery.

"Now there was a cat worth remembering. Lionblaze and Dovewing are just stuck-up pompous ThunderClan fools, but that Ivypool's got spirit. She didn't have any creepy powers or nothing, she just did what she had to for the Clan. It's a shame she wasn't born in ShadowClan." He sighed. Blackpaw could imagine his grey eyes misting over from memories, but she only rolled her eyes.

"Tallpoppy," Jewelpaw said suddenly, "why is it that at the Gathering, when someone mentioned greencough, all the ThunderClan cats cringed?"

"What?" The light brown tabby she-cat sat up slowly, wincing as her stiff joints cracked. "I didn't notice that happening."

"Jewelpaw is very observant," Cedarheart noted with a hint of pride. Blackpaw rolled her eyes again, but pricked her ears despite herself. If ThunderClan was worried about greencough, then maybe that would be an excuse to get Snowpaw back, on the basis that she might die of sickness... would Bramblestar buy that?...

The calico apprentice ducked her head. "I just saw Lionblaze glaring at me, and Sandstorm exchanged glances with Cloudtail, when Minnowtail and Grasspelt were talking to me about how they needed to fix the nursery wall because they were afraid the cats might catch greencough..."

There was a pause. Finally Blackpaw broke the unbearable silence and meowed, "Jewelpaw, sometimes you freak me out."

The two elders _mrrowed_ with laughter. "That's certainly quite an excellent memory you have there," Tallpoppy purred. "Well, it was because last leafbare, ThunderClan had a greencough epidemic. Many cats died, including Thornclaw, Mousewhisker, and poor Briarlight. She was the cat whose back legs were paralyzed. I heard Jayfeather had to give Millie poppy seeds for a moon, she was so devastated. Actually, Jayfeather seemed a bit quiet at that Gathering, too." She lowered her head sadly. "I don't like ThunderClan very much, but they didn't deserve to have so many cats die. What was StarClan thinking?"

Blackpaw snorted very, very quietly. Personally, I think StarClan has the right idea, she thought maliciously. At least Snowpaw doesn't have to put up with even _more _mousebrained idiots over there.

"Blackpaw? Is there something you wanted to say?" Tallpoppy's sharp mew cracked the moody atmosphere. Blackpaw almost jumped, but managed to keep her cool.

"No, nothing, Tallpoppy. I had just finished pulling out Cedarheart's ticks," she said smoothly. "Would you like me to clean your pelt, too?"

"It's fine. Thank you." Tallpoppy's voice was a little kinder, but she was still glaring suspiciously.

"Thank you, Blackpaw," Cedarheart purred as Blackpaw picked up the mouse bile-soaked moss in her jaws and padded out of the elders' den. Her tail flicked slightly, but she only nodded, not wanting to drop her foul-smelling load.

-x-

The moon was still nearly full, so the night was perfect for a meeting. Blackpaw lightly tapped Bronzepaw on the shoulder with her paw, simultaneously covering his mouth with her fluffy tail. Just as she expected, he let out a muffled groan before he woke up; but it was muffled enough for nobody else to have heard.

"Time to go," she hissed, very quietly, into his ear. He grunted and started to uncurl himself from his nest.

Not waiting for him to finish, Blackpaw gently pulled aside the brambles to reveal her secret entrance. She slipped through and carefully let them fall back into place, trying not to let them rattle. This was much different from her frequent nighttime wanderings; now, there was a thrill of excitement that came from breaking the rules for real this time.

"I'm here," Bronzepaw whispered as he stepped out beside her, moments later. "Ready?"

"Obviously!" Her brother was such an idiot sometimes. "Come on, let's go!"

"Wait! What about the watch?"

"They're on the other side of camp, remember? Hurry up!" Blackpaw was already several tail-lengths ahead of Bronzepaw. He caught up quickly, but Blackpaw was a very fast runner; soon, he was stuck a little bit behind her. She purred softly, but kept her comments to herself; he wouldn't be able to hear them, anyway.

It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the small swamp next to the ShadowClan/ThunderClan border. They slowed as it came into sight, and proceeded more cautiously, keeping to the shadows around the tree trunks. Several nights of nighttime training popped into Blackpaw's head, and she remembered to keep her eyes narrowed to slits, so that they didn't reflect the moonlight. She glanced over at Bronzepaw and saw that he was doing the same. Unfortunately, his coppery fur took on an all-too-visible silvery sheen in the moonlight.

"Bronzepaw! Wait!" she murmured softly, aware of how well whispers and hisses carried in the night silence. "You need to disguise your fur?"

"And how do you expect me to do that?" Bronzepaw stopped walking and stared at her. "Hang on. If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting -"

"Yep." She had calculated while he was talking; the swamp was only two tail-lengths behind him. If she could just push him in... she lunged at him and bowled him over. To her relief, he didn't screech, although his eyes widened furiously.

"Get in! Or I'll have to hurt you! You _know _that mud is the only option, unless you want someone walking by to see you!" she meowed into his ear.

"No!" But it was too late; her momentum had carried him backwards, and a moment later, he sank up to his shoulders in the stinky mud.

"_Blackpaw!"_

"Shush!" Bronzepaw had spoken in a normal voice. All her fears came true as she heard someone meow from the darkness of the other side.

"Bronzepaw? Is that you?"

"It's Snowpaw!" Blackpaw relaxed and stepped away from the muck. "It's both of us, Snowpaw! Where are you?"

"Right here." Snowpaw emerged slowly, almost hesitantly, from the shadows. To her surprise, Blackpaw noticed that her fur was a dark brown colour not unlike the mud that Bronzepaw was trying to wade out of.

"Snowpaw, what have you done to your fur?"

The white she-cat glanced down and shifter her paws awkwardly. "Um, it's fox-dung. ThunderClan uses it a lot, apparently. It stinks, but you didn't see me before, did you?" When she looked up, there was a hint of the old sparkle in her eyes.

Blackpaw chuckled. "No, I didn't. Are they treating you well?"

Before Snowpaw could answer, Bronzepaw managed to finally get his hindquarters out of the swamp with a loud squelch. "Blehhh! That's disgusting! Blackpaw, I am so paying you back for this!" he hissed.

"It's not as bad as what Snowpaw had to put on." Blackpaw wrinkled her nose, suddenly aware of where a faint stench had been coming from.

"Fox dung!" Bronzepaw looked at his sister incredulously. "Why would you put on _that?"_

"It's to camouflage my fur," Snowpaw explained again. "Whitewing taught me that trick. She's my, um, mentor now."

Blackpaw felt like a thorn had been driven straight into her heart. Surely... surely Snowpaw wasn't _happy _there? No, it couldn't be. She had seemed so sad and lonely two nights ago. That couldn't have changed in such a short time. Right?

"So you like it in ThunderClan now?" Bronzepaw asked aggressively. Blackpaw winced, but couldn't help staring at Snowpaw curiously, eager to her her response.

Snowpaw seemed to wilt slightly right before their eyes; her eyes had regained that hollow, sad look again. "No," she whispered. "I don't like it in ThunderClan."

"Why not?" Blackpaw mewed gently. Her jealousy had evaporated instantly.

"Oh... Blackpaw, it's _horrible._ You know how they're supposed to be all kind and gentle and loyal? Well, they're not." She was whispering, her eyes closed. "They hate me. I have no friends. Whitewing is pretty nice, but when she thinks I'm not looking I can see her staring at me with a bit of disgust. Ivypool, Lionblaze, and Cloudtail don't even bother to hide how much they hate me. Cherrytail and Moleclaw - they got made into warriors a quarter moon ago - aren't as bad, at least they bother trying to talk to me sometimes. Lilypaw and Seedpaw are horrible. They're the other two apprentices, along with Dewpaw and Snowpaw, which is just awkward because our names are the same... They always whisper behind my back and call me names, but in front of others they pretend to be all sweet and kind." She shuddered, seemingly lost in misery. "The only one who actually _tried _to be my friend, is Bumblestripe. I think he feels sorry for me. But he's a warrior, we can't spend that much time there. Oh, Blackpaw, Bronzepaw, if I stay there any longer, I think I'm going to _die."_

"What about Jayfeather?" Bronzepaw asked. His voice had entirely lost any aggressiveness, and it was hushed.

"I haven't really talked to him. He stays out of my way. Most of them do. Only the others I mentioned are... especially nice, or particularly mean."

"I'm sorry, Snowpaw." Blackpaw wanted to lick her sister's ear, but didn't want to get foxdung on her tongue accidentally. "Um, Snowpaw... could you roll in mud a bit? To get the foxdung off, I mean. I can't come near you. To comfort you, I mean," she added hastily, afraid of sounding as if she cared more about her fur than about her sister.

Bronzepaw sat up straighter, his eyes blazing with anger. "Snowpaw, we can't let you go back there. You're suffering. We'll go talk to Blackstar first thing tomorrow and convince him to take you back."

"_No!_" Snowpaw hissed, her eyes wide with horror. "You can't! He'll know I saw you at night! We're supposed to be in enemy Clans, remember?"

"But -"

"Shhh!" Blackpaw sat very still, her ears erect. "I think someone's coming!"

"Quick, hide!" Snowpaw hissed. "You can't be seen here!"

"What about you though?" Blackpaw asked desperately. "They'll see you!"

"It's fine! ThunderClan won't question me, they've seen me go out lots of times at night before. Hurry!"

Bronzepaw didn't waste any more time arguing; he leaped up the nearest pine tree and scampered up the trunk like a squirrel. "Come on, Blackpaw!" he snarled. "They'll see you!"

Snowpaw had already run a few fox-lengths into the ThunderClan border, and was walking around with agitation, clearly trying to pretend that she was just taking an "innocent walk". There were rustling noises, coming closer and closer from the direction of the ThunderClan territory...

Blackpaw knew that she should hide now, save her own pelt. But something made her go after her sister. Maybe it was the thought that ThunderClan would punish her if they figured out that she wasn't just walking here. Maybe it was just a reckless urge to do something stupid. Regardless of the reason, she leaped straight for Snowpaw and bowled her over into the nearest bramble bush, wincing soundlessly as the thorns dug into her pelt. At least Snowpaw had enough sense not to make any noise.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Blackpaw heard the familiar voice and felt a thrill of dread. It was Lionblaze. And from the sound of it, he was right behind her.

"Did you find something, Lionblaze?" a second voice asked. It didn't sound like any cat she knew.

"No. Are you sure you heard a cat, Dovewing?" Lionblaze growled. Blackpaw tried her hardest not to move. Snowpaw's eyes were bulging with an unspoken warning, but she didn't make a noise. What is it? Blackpaw tried to ask with her own eyes...

...when suddenly she realized. She wasn't in the bramble bush at all. Snowpaw had been successfully hidden by the brambles; but she didn't feel any thorns raking her pelt anymore. In her rush to push Snowpaw in, she hadn't been able to make it herself.

She was crouched with her back to Lionblaze and Dovewing, in plain sight.

So why couldn't they see her?

"Yes... There seemed to be only one though. And I thought it was Snowpaw. She seems to be gone, though." Dovewing's voice was uncertain. There was a momentary pause, and she mowed, "Yes. I don't feel her anywhere. Either she went into ShadowClan, where I'm _not _going to spy, Lionblaze, no matter how much you bug me. Or she just went farther along the border. Does it really matter?"

"Of course!" Lionblaze meowed with anger. "If she's sneaking off at night to see her siblings, we need to put a stop to it!"

"But she's the only cat I felt." Dovewing sounded faintly puzzled. "She must have just been taking a walk, maybe feeling homesick or something. I can't blame her, poor thing. I can't even imagine myself being forced to leave Ivypool to go to ShadowClan!"

The naive pity in her voice made Blackpaw shake with silent fury. She didn't _get _it. This was more than just Snowpaw being torn from her Clan; she had no parents, and she didn't even know where they came from. Blackpaw and Bronzepaw were her only family, and without them she was slowly dying. Stupid, stupid she-cat. She didn't understand what it was like to be all alone in this place.

Lionblaze snorted. "Well, whatever. Let's get going." Blackpaw held her breath as his pawsteps started to recede.

A moment later, Dovewing followed, sighing. The rustling of their passage grew fainter and fainter, until it was gone.

Blackpaw released a breath she didn't know she was holding and stood up from her crouch, shaking out her pelt. "That was unbelievable!" she meowed in a normal voice.

"What _happened?_" That was Bronzepaw; he sprang from his hiding place and padded up to his sisters. "I heard Dovewing talking about 'sensing' Snowpaw, whatever that meant. Do you think that was because she was in the proph-"

"Never mind that!" Snowpaw hissed, climbing out of the bramble bush. "Blackpaw, what did you _do? _You pushed me in, and then you disappeared! It was like you were invisible; I could see Lionblaze and Dovewing in the clearing, but your shadow was still on the ground!"

"I was invisible?" Blackpaw gasped. "That's impossible! No cat has powers like that."

"Maybe there was another prophecy, and you're in it!" The look Bronzepaw gave her was one of awe, mixed with a little fear. "Did Littlecloud talk to you? Is that why Blackstar is your mentor; so he can tutor you in special powers or something?"

"What? No!" Blackpaw exclaimed. "I don't have any secret powers! All I did was push Snowpaw into the brambles, and then Lionblaze and Dovewing came so I crouched with my back to them and became absolutely still. Maybe that's why they didn't see me; my fur is black, and they just didn't notice me."

"That's ridiculous! They would have noticed you crouching there no matter what! And how do you explain me being able to see right through you?" Snowpaw meowed, her pelt bristling. "Is there something you're not telling us, Blackpaw? I thought we were siblings; we're supposed to trust each other!"

"I don't have any special powers!" Blackpaw snapped. "I don't know what you saw, but I guess Lionblaze and Dovewing were blind or something! Stop accusing me!"

Snowpaw only shook her head, her eyes filling up with tears. "I don't believe you, Blackpaw. I thought we were sisters, best friends. Guess I was wrong. Have fun with those secret powers of yours." With a barely stifled sob, she fled into the undergrowth.

"Snowpaw!" Bronzepaw yowled. "Come back!"

"Shhh! What if Lionblaze and Dovewing are still around?" Blackpaw meowed urgently.

Bronzepaw shrugged. They probably went back to their dens by now." He turned to Blackpaw and stared her straight in the eyes. "Is it true that you don't have any secret powers?"

"Not that I know of," Blackpaw confessed. "I mean, maybe Snowpaw just made a mistake, and I really was in the bramble bush or something. Or maybe they were in the undergrowth and they couldn't see me sitting in the open. I honestly can't explain it. But a prophecy, secret powers, all that... it just seems too far-fetched an explanation. You believe me, right?" she asked desperately.

He hesitated slightly; then gave a curt nod. "Of course. You're my sister; why would you hide things from me?"

"Exactly." Blackpaw sighed in relief, knowing that her brother believed her. "There's probably a more rational explanation for this. But no word to anyone, right?"

"Right," Bronzepaw agreed. "And next Gathering, maybe we can talk to Snowpaw, convince her that you're not dangerous or something."

Blackpaw looked up at the waning moon, shining indifferently in a inky sea of stars. "I just hope she believes us," she whispered, more to herself than to Bronzepaw. Please, StarClan, she prayed, if you truly care for me, help Snowpaw understand that I'm not her enemy.

"Let's go back," Bronzepaw suggested. "We still need to get more sleep. Good thing neither of us is on dawn patrol."

"Yep. Let's go." Blackpaw let her brother lead the way back to camp, still caught in a state of heightened nervousness, as though more ThunderClan cats would pop out of the forest at her; the near-miss with Lionblaze had left her shaken. What if he had caught her?

They slipped quietly into their dens and bade each other good night before settling into their respective nests. Blackpaw curled up and thought back to the meeting with Snowpaw. She remembered her prayer and hoped with all her heart that it would help.

But then a chilling thought struck her. As she drifted off into the world of dreams, she wondered... if she wasn't a Clan cat, would StarClan even hear her?


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: And how is our dearest Snowpaw's life? Not fun, I'm sure...**

**Chapter 8**

The third morning after the Gathering dawned fresh and clear. The day promised to be cool, but sunny. A few scattered clouds prowled the pale blue sky.

Snowpaw was in no mood to appreciate the scenery. She crouched in the narrow space between the warriors' den and the apprentices' den, pressing herself into the brambles in a futile attempt to be unseen. Her previous three hiding spaces had already been demolished by a spiteful Ivypool and a malicious Lilypaw.

However, she knew that this place wouldn't last long. It was very uncomfortable, and of course her white fur was easy to spot through the green thorns. Already, she'd seen that grey-furred idiot Dewpaw cast her an amused look as he headed out of camp on a hunting patrol. Who were those cats with him again? Ah, yes, Whitewing and Birchfall. They were mates... she thought. Or maybe siblings? No, Ivypool and Dovewing were their daughters, she remembered. ThunderClan cats bred like mice; there were so _many, _and it was impossible to keep track of all their names, let alone who was related to who.

Squirrelflight was standing beneath the Highledge, organising the day's patrols. She tried to tune her out, but the ginger deputy's persistent voice overcame all her barriers.

"Today at sunhigh, it'll be... let's see... Millie, Dovewing, Leafpool, Seedpaw, and Snowpaw. No, not you! The other Snowpaw, the one from ShadowClan... has anyone seen her? Snowpaw! Come out of there!"

Snowpaw sighed, realising she had been discovered. With a low growl, she extracted herself from the thorns and trotted over to the gathered group of cats. There were titters and murmurs as the warriors caught sight of her disheveled fur, but she was way past caring.

"ShadowClan foxdung," someone hissed.

"Who said that?" Squirrelflight snapped. No one answered; everyone glared either at Snowpaw, at the deputy, or at the ground. The tension in the air was almost palpable.

At last, Squirrelflight sighed. "Fine. But remember, ThunderClan, Snowpaw is one of us now. She may have grown up in ShadowClan but she's part of our family now. Please do your best to accept her, and make her feel welcomed."

Snowpaw suddenly felt a terrible rage rising up inside of her. What did this stupid she-cat know about family, about feeling welcome, about being _loved? _Snowpaw wasn't just a stranger in ThunderClan; she was a stranger to all the Clans. That was the real reason why the bigoted ThunderClan cats couldn't accept her presence; she was a rogue as well as ShadowClan-raised. They would always hate her.

"Oh, just shut _up, _you stupid piece of mousedung! Nobody here gives a mousetail about me, and you know it!" She cried angrily.

The clearing was eerily silent. Every eye seemed to be trained on her. Squirrelflight opened her mouth, but no words came out; her eyes were wide with shock.

Snowpaw took a deep breath, let it out, and spoke in a quieter voice. "I'm sorry for startling you. And I apologise, Squirrelflight, for insulting you; I was just very, very angry. Forgive me. Please go on with what you were doing." Feeling like her pelt was burning up with shame, she dipped her head and padded slowly out of camp, trying but failing miserably to keep her head high and her tail from drooping.

As soon as her tail-tip whisked out of sight of the camp, a babble of murmuring began behind her. Snowpaw paid no notice; her paws automatically carried her up the ridge that led to the lake. The water had always calmed her; it reminded her that wherever they were, Bronzepaw and Blackpaw could be looking at the same scenery that she was.

_Blackpaw. _The word left a bitter taste in her mouth. Snowpaw picked up her pace until she was flying over the leaf-strewn ground, but of course her memories, and her emotions, kept pace effortlessly.

She wasn't sure what she felt about Blackpaw. On one paw, she was her only sister, and they'd always been rather close, although Blackpaw never really understood Snowpaw's love of the arcane. Blackpaw had always protected Snowpaw from Yewkit or Jadekit when they had teased her for being different. On the other paw... she clearly had special powers that she wanted to keep a secret. Powers that she wouldn't even tell her sister about. And that felt like betrayal to Snowpaw. How could Blackpaw keep secrets from her? Bronzepaw probably knew; so why couldn't Snowpaw?

_It's probably because I'm ThunderClan now,_ She thought bitterly. _Bramblestar tore apart our lives and our trust._

"Snowpaw! Come back at _once!" _Speaking of Bramblestar...

Instead of stopping to face her leader, Snowpaw ran on, scrambling down the slope to the lakeshore. Knowing that Bramblestar would be able to find her no matter where she hid, Snowpaw just padded to the edge of the bank, so that the pebbles cut into her paw pads and the freezing water lapped at her claws.

"Snowpaw! What are you doing here!" Snowpaw didn't turn, but she knew that Bramblestar had appeared over the slope and was descending towards her. Pieces of rock rained down from his passage. She didn't flinch.

Bramblestar came to a halt next to her. "Explain," He spat.

She sighed. "I already apologized to Squirrelflight. I'll go on the sunhigh patrol."

"Is it true that someone called you ShadowClan foxdung?" Bramblestar asked, completely ignoring her words.

"Um... yes. But it doesn't matter." Snowpaw's eyes widened slightly in surprise at his question.

"Of course it does. If a cat insults their fellow Clanmate, they must be punished." He snorted. "Even if that Clanmate is adopted."

"I don't think they consider me a Clanmate," Snowpaw murmured. "I'm too different. Being ShadowClan is just one of those differences."

"Would you care to explain the others?"

She shrugged. "I was also going to be a medicine cat apprentice. I'm not interested in hunting or fighting. Did Littlecloud or Blackstar tell you about my future-telling?"

Bramblestar twitched his ears. "What future-telling?"

"I can use things like animal bones, feathers, the position of the sun or moon, moss, rocks, special herbs, and water to predict future events, or to read signs sent by StarClan... or whoever walks the skies. Then I interpret them." She gasped, suddenly remembering a time more than a moon ago. "I taught my siblings a little... and my sister Blackpaw was able to make an accurate prediction of what happened at the Gathering."

"What was the prediction?" The ThunderClan leader asked curiously.

"That..." Snowpaw frowned, trying to remember. "That a cat will be accused of hurting or driving away another - that was Bumblestripe, darkness and wind will side against water and lightning - that was WindClan and ShadowClan, protesting against you taking me! But RiverClan sided with you. And that a group of three will be separated, possibly forever." She gulped. "That was us."

To her surprise, Bramblestar dipped his head. "That is very impressive. If I was aware of those talents earlier, I might have considered allowing Jayfeather to take you on as an apprentice. If he agreed, of course... but who sends these signs, did you say?"

"StarClan. Unless..." She hesitated, not sure how the leader would react. "I heard Littlecloud talking about the Tribe of Rushing Water, and their ancestors... the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The Stoneteller of the Tribe interprets signs from his ancestors, and that sounds a lot like what I do. Maybe, since I'm from the Tribe, their ancestors have gifted me with the same talent as the Stoneteller." Her eyes widened in realisation. "Maybe I'm the daughter of the current Stoneteller!"

Bramblestar tilted his head. "That is possible. I know the Stoneteller now... his name used to be Crag Where Eagles Nest, or Crag for short." He seemed to be talking to himself. "Maybe we could go to the Tribe... to investigate? Perhaps to see if one of their queens disappeared? But why would she leave the Tribe?"

Snowpaw shifter her paws uncomfortably, not sure if she was allowed to speak or not. The movement seemed to bring Bramblestar back to his senses. "We should return to camp, Snowpaw." His earlier coldness was back, and he sounded like the harsh, uncaring leader again. "Get moving. Your patrol leaves soon."

"Yes, Bramblestar." Snowpaw dipped her head meekly, but inside, she was quietly simmering with anger.

-x-

The patrol went surprisingly well. Snowpaw stayed at the back of the group, keeping quiet and not standing out. Near the end, she spotted a sparrow rustling in the undergrowth and couldn't help making a quick detour to pick it up. Once she had rejoined the patrol, Seedpaw and Dovewing looked irritated but Millie praised her for the good catch. Snowpaw felt marginally better as she trotted into camp and proudly deposited her catch onto the fresh-kill pile. Even Dewpaw, the eldest apprentice (along with his brother, the other Snowpaw), didn't have anything negative to say.

When Jayfeather called her to his den, however, she felt less pleased.

"What is it?" She hissed quietly to the blind medicine cat as she followed him into the medicine den.

"I want to talk to you about something." He muttered, turning around suddenly. "What do you know about prophecies?"

Snowpaw's eyes widened; surely he didn't know about Blackpaw? She relaxed a moment later when she realised that there was simply _no way _he could know. He hadn't seen Blackpaw last night. "I only know that StarClan gives them," She meowed, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible. "Why?"

Jayfeather leaned in so that his muzzle was a mouse-length away from hers. "And what do you know about the prophecy of Three?"

"Um..." Snowpaw couldn't help leaning back slightly. "I know that you, Lionblaze, and Dovewing were the three cats, and Firestar was the fourth cat, but he's dead. And I know that Lionblaze is supposed to be an unbeatable fighter, Dovewing has extra sharp senses, and you can..." She trailed off, suddenly realising. "You can read minds! You're probably reading my mind right now!" She shrieked, stumbling away from him. "Stop it! Stop -"

"I'm not reading your mind," Jayfeather mewed calmly. "First, I can control my power, so I don't accidentally violate other cats' privacy and secrets. Second... I can't feel your mind. At all. And that's what I want to talk to you about."

"What?" Snowpaw stopped retreating towards the entrance. "I'm confused."

"I can't feel your mind," Jayfeather repeated, his voice tinged with impatience. "I can feel that you're there, but your mind is empty... it's like there's a blank spot where your emotions should be. This has never happened before, and I want to know if StarClan has spoken to you... maybe about another prophecy. Concerning you and your siblings."

"Leave Bronzepaw and Blackpaw out of this!"

"Keep your voice down! And I can't leave them out, because they're as much a part of this as you are. I can't feel _any _of your minds. I know from the Gathering. And I talked to Lionblaze and Dovewing about your meeting with them last night -"

"You knew that I met my siblings last night?" Snowpaw gasped. "How?"

"I have my ways." Jayfeather said, clearly annoyed now. "I may not be able to read your thoughts or emotions, even if I wanted to, but I can still tell if you're there. I had a feeling you'd sneak out that night, and I followed you. But that's not the point -"

"So you know about Blackpaw!" Snowpaw meowed, horrified. "You know -" She clamped her mouth shut as Jayfeather's expression quickly went from surprised to calculating.

He sat back on his haunches. "No, I don't know about Blackpaw. Would you care to enlighten me?"

"No." Snowpaw mewed firmly. "Continue with your explanation, please. I want to know why you were spying on us."

The medicine cat flicked his tail irritably. "I followed you, heard Lionblaze and Dovewing's conversation, saw - I mean, sensed - that you'd hidden well enough so they didn't see you, and then followed them back to camp. Was there something else I needed to know?"

"No."

He sighed. "Well, I'll find out eventually, trust me. I've got powerful friends. But my point was that Dovewing _didn't sense either of your siblings. _Remember what I said about her having extended hearing and sight?" Snowpaw nodded, thinking back to the conversation. Suddenly, Dovewing's words about only being able to 'sense' one of them were much less confusing. "She should have seen and heard all three of you. Yet she only felt you, from a distance. You seemed to just disappear to her when you were with your siblings. It made no sense. I wanted to know if you have an explanation for this. And before you say no, I'm going to remind you that this is your Clan now, I am your medicine cat, and if there's something you know that I need to know too, _especially _if it involves the safety of our Clan, then you need to tell me. I could take this up with Bramblestar, too, of course, but I would really rather not."

Snowpaw sat silently, trying to process all this new information. So there was something about her, Blackpaw, and Bronzepaw that made Jayfeather's and Dovewing's powers useless. It could have something to do with a new prophecy, but she didn't think so; if StarClan was really as great and wise as her mother - that is, Leopardstep - had told her, wouldn't they have spoken to _someone _about a prophecy? No, she thought it was more likely that it was something to do with her Tribe ancestry. She'd have to ask some questions to make sure, of course, and do a few fortune tellings and mystic readings. But... one thing she knew was almost certain: Blackpaw's new invisibility power, or whatever it was, had a _lot _to do with this.

To stall for time, she meowed slowly, "And if I told you that I have some information, it has absolutely nothing to do with the safety of ThunderClan, but I still need some time to think about whether to tell you or not... could you give me some time to think about it?"

Jayfeather chuckled. "That's clever of you. Yes, I suppose I could give you a night. But I expect something new by tomorrow, at sunset, all right?"

She nodded, then remembered that he couldn't see her. "Yes, Jayfeather."

"Good." He gave her a nod. "Well, you'd best get back to you duties. I think Cloudtail wants you to bring that sparrow you caught over to Dustpelt."

"O-okay." Snowpaw backed out of the den and turned to look at the fresh-kill pile; indeed, Cloudtail was beckoning to her with his tail. She hurried over to him, feeling more than a little creeped out.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Bronzepaw placed his left paw in front of his right and drew himself forward slightly, careful not to make the slightest noise. Ahead of him, a mouse was nibbling on a tiny seed, oblivious to his presence; its scent drifted from upwind and into his nose, making his mouth water.

With another pawstep, Bronzepaw came even nearer to the mouse. He pressed himself flat to the ground, and bunched his leg muscles, ready to pounce...

The mouse looked up, startled, as his tail brushed a stalk of grass. Hissing a curse, Bronzepaw leaped forward and stretched his paws, trying to trap his prey between them -

- he landed with a muffled thump and another curse. The mouse had let out a squeak and vanished into the bramble patch ahead of them. He streaked after it, ignoring the hooked thorns tugging at his fur and leaving painful scratches. Ahead of him, a thin tail disappeared into the ferns.

He increased his speed, bursting through the last of the brambles, and... rammed into a mass of fur.

"Ouch! Watch where you're going!" a voice snapped. "Is this your mouse?"

Shaking his head to clear it, Bronzepaw jumped back, wincing. "Yes, and I was about to catch it, until you got in the way!" he snarled. "Give it here!"

The cat turned to give him a contemptuous glance, and his heart sank. It was Blackstar.

"It's not polite to speak to your leader that way, apprentice," Blackstar mewed coolly.

"I-I'm sorry, Blackstar. I did not realize it was you. I thought it was... er... someone else." Bronzepaw dropped his gaze to his paws, feeling flustered and humiliated. Stupid mouse.

"Are you saying that you would treat any other cat like that?" The huge white cat inquired icily, examining one of his black front paws. "Rowanclaw, for example? No, don't answer that. You're in charge of searching the elders' pelts for ticks every day, for a moon. No help will be given from the other apprentices."

"Wha-" Bronzepaw started to protest, but quickly snapped his mouth shut before he landed himself in even _more _trouble. His pelt bristled with fury, but he did his best flatten it in a show of humility. "Yes, Blackstar. May I go now?"

"Yes. Take this to the elders. Your duty starts today. Also, inform the other apprentices that there is no need to help you." Blackstar hooked the dead mouse lying on the ground - Bronzepaw had only just noticed it - and tossed it to the apprentice. Then he left, swishing his tail carelessly, without a backward glance.

Bronzepaw stared at the mouse, feeling his eyes burn. He could imagine the gleeful look on Yewpaw's face, the pity in Jewelpaw's eyes, Blackpaw's disbelief, Jadepaw's contempt... why did Blackstar have to do this? All he'd done was make an innocent mistake!

"Bronzepaw! Did you catch that mouse?" He'd forgotten about the rest of the hunting patrol. The brambles rustled behind him, and Bronzepaw turned around to see his sister pushing her way through. "Ugh! These things are horrid. Oh, you did catch it. Why the glum face?" She peered curiously at him. "Did it bite you or something?"

"Um... I accidentally ran into Blackstar, and I was a bit rude because I hadn't realised who it was, and... well, he put me in charge of cleaning the elders' pelts for a moon, with no help," Bronzepaw whispered. "Just don't tell anyone else, okay? They'll find out soon enough."

"Oh, _Bronzepaw!_" To his surprise, Blackpaw pressed her muzzle to his shoulder and curled her tail around his. "Why are you such an idiot?"

"Am I interrupting something here?" The sneering tone belonged to none other than Scorchfur. Blackpaw stepped away from her brother and glared at the warrior.

"No, you're not. I was just speaking to my brother, is that a crime?"

"Not at all." Scorchfur's lip curled. "It just looked like... never mind. You young apprentices wouldn't understand."

"Try us!"

"Well... you looked a bit _intimate, _if you get my gist." The dark grey tom's meow was dripping with malice.

"What?!" Blackpaw screeched. "You sick creep of a cat! How dare you?!"

Bronzepaw's eyes widened in shock. "What are you _talking _about? She's my sister!" he exclaimed. "We would never..." the sentence trailed off awkwardly.

"Just shut up." Blackpaw gave Scorchfur one last glance full of contempt, and beckoned to Bronzepaw with her tail. "Come on, let's get back to the rest of the patrol."

"Aw, don't be mad, little apprentices! I was just having a bit of fun," Scorchfur called after them, his voice falsely sweet with honeyed tones. Bronzepaw curled his lip without turning around and followed his sister.

"Where have you been, you two? And where's Scorchfur?" Kinkfur demanded as soon as they reappeared in the clearing where the hunting patrol agreed to meet.

"I was chasing a mouse," Bronzepaw explained, cutting across Blackpaw, who had opened her mouth to speak. "And we met Scorchfur on our way back." He suddenly realised that he'd left the mouse back in the clearing with Scorchfur... oh, well. Maybe the warrior would take it back for him.

"He made some stupid comment about Bronzepaw and me being mates, and I gave him a small piece of my mind," Blackpaw added, not seeming embarrassed in the least. Bronzepaw ducked his head, feeling his pelt heat up under Kinkfur and Jadepaw's stares.

"What a mousebrain," Kinkfur sniffed. "I never liked him. Come on, let's get back to camp, and dig up your prey. Did you catch that mouse, Bronzepaw?"

"No." he replied quietly, deciding not to mention Blackstar. "But I did catch a sparrow earlier. I'll go get it."

"Go ahead, we'll meet you back in camp. You too, Blackpaw, you can go get your prey. I expect you to report to your mentors, all of you." Kinkfur ordered. Beside her, Jadepaw snorted very softly, but the tangle-furred she-cat didn't seem to notice.

Blackpaw headed off in the direction of the RiverClan border, while Bronzepaw retraced his steps from fifteen minutes earlier, towards the lake shore. Behind him, he heard Jadepaw and Kinkfur making their way back towards camp, and sighed dejectedly; with his luck, Blackstar would probably already have told everyone about his humiliation.

Wrapped up in his own miserable thoughts, Bronzepaw almost missed the spot where he'd buried the sparrow. He stopped and dug up the bird from the moist ground, shaking off his paws with disgust when stray feathers got stuck to them. The job was quickly done, and soon he was heading back to camp, the limp prey clutched in his jaws.

-x-

"That's a nice sparrow, young'un," Tallpoppy meowed approvingly as Bronzepaw dropped it on the fresh-kill pile.

"Thanks," he answered, feeling surprised. He was rarely complimented by the elders; he rarely spent much time around them, to be honest. They seemed old and boring, as well as in constant need of a good wash. Especially Cedarheart.

Tallpoppy chuckled. "You know, that was a subtle hint that I wanted to eat it. If you're going to be spending the next moon around us elders, you're going to have to be a little more refined." There was no reproaching in her voice, however; she sounded merely amused.

"Sorry." Bronzepaw ducked his head and pawed the sparrow in her direction. Then he suddenly stiffened, realising what she'd said. "You know about my punishment?"

"Of course, Blackstar already told us," Tallpoppy replied. At the same time, a voice said behind him, "What punishment?"

Bronzepaw's heart sank. He reluctantly stood and faced Jewelpaw. "Er, I accidentally ticked off Blackstar and he made me take care of the elders for a moon," he mumbled, not quite meeting her stare.

"Oh. It's all right, I'll help you," she mewed cheerfully. "Working together is more fun than doing it by yourself, right?"

He looked up, startled. There was no trace of amusement or scorn or pity in her eyes. She genuinely seemed ready to help Bronzepaw with his chore, which made him feel even worse. "Actually, Blackstar said I can't have help," he muttered, even softer than before.

The sparkle in Jewelpaw's eyes faded. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Bronzepaw said quickly. "I mean, thanks for offering and everything. I'd love it if you'd helped me - I mean, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble like me, or have to waste your time, but I - what I meant was, I'd appreciate your company, or I would have, if Blackstar -"

"Oh, stop it," Jewelpaw interrupted, laughing. "You're rambling. I get what you meant, all right?" She stood and flicked his ear with her tail affectionately. "Sorry, but I have to go. I'm on hunting patrol now."

"Okay." Bronzepaw shivered involuntarily when she touched him, then immediately hoped she hadn't noticed. "Thanks for talking to me, Jewelpaw."

"You're welcome! Good luck with that punishment." She gave him one last cheerful wave with her tail before bounding off to join the patrol waiting by the entrance boulder. Only now did Bronzepaw realise that this whole time they'd been talking, all four of those cats had been watching - including, to his embarrassment, Yewpaw, who narrowed his eyes calculatingly. He turned around, expecting to see Tallpoppy still on the other side of the fresh-kill pile with her sparrow, but of course she was long gone. The only sign of her ever being there was a small pile of bird bones lying neatly on the ground.

Bronzepaw looked around the clearing, tail twitching slightly with annoyance. Who _else _had heard, or at least seen, his conversation? Littlecloud was sitting outside his den, spreading out herbs to dry. He looked completely focused and didn't look like he'd been paying attention. Good. There were a couple of warriors who were dozing next to their den: Tawnypelt, Rowanclaw, Dawnpelt, and Tigerheart. It was their whole family, he noticed suddenly. The sight gave him a familiar pang of jealousy, but he was used to it; his only family had been Blackpaw and Snowpaw, ever since he was born, and it didn't hurt as much as it had before.

The only other cats out were Blackpaw, Moonpaw, and Ravenpaw. The three of them were sharing tongues by the apprentice den, but they were too far away to have heard. As he looked, Blackpaw looked up and beckoned for him to join them with her tail. He shrugged gloomily and pointed at the elders' den with his nose. She drew her ears back and wrinkled her nose, then went back to grooming herself. He knew her well enough to know that was all the sympathy he was getting.

He sighed and trudged over to the elders' den, tail drooping. Just before he entered, though, a voice called, "Lighten up! It's not your execution!"

"_What?_" Bronzepaw looked around for the source and saw Dawnpelt, staring at him with amusement.

"Come on, Bronzepaw! You'd have to do the chore anyways. Who knows, maybe they'll tell you some stories!" she purred.

"Whatever," he grumbled, resuming his walk. Just before he entered the den, he steeled himself with a huge sigh, then went in.

The inside of the elders' home was much dimmer than the clearing. As Bronzepaw's eyes adjusted, he gradually made out the forms of Tallpoppy, Cedarheart, and Whitewater lying next to each other in a corner.

"Ah, here comes the poor, misunderstood apprentice," Tallpoppy purred to Cedarheart. "Such a terrible chore, cleaning our pelts. Are you planning to do it without mouse bile?"

Bronzepaw let out a wordless snarl as he stomped outside again.

-x-

Blackstar sent out the sundown patrol later than usual; the sun was already half-hidden behind the trees as Oakfur, Crowfrost, Shrewfoot, Blackpaw, and Bronzepaw made their silent way to the ThunderClan border.

Bronzepaw fell into step at the back of the patrol with his sister, wishing Toadfoot was there. Oakfur and Crowfrost were senior warriors, and they seemed gruff and intimidating to him. Shrewfoot was a little warmer, but they still weren't _her _apprentices, after all. She treated them with a certain frostiness that made even Blackpaw, who was usually unfazed by the attitudes of other cats, more subdued.

"I'm cold," he whispered into Blackpaw's ear when they rounded a thicket of brambles side by side.

"Deal with it," she hissed back. "I was out all day with Blackstar, we were hunting birds. I'm _sick _of pine sap so much right now, if I have to climb one more tree, I think I'll -"

"Stop," came Oakfur's quiet voice from up front, silencing Blackpaw. "I can scent a ThunderClan patrol. Get into trees so that you can see the border, but make sure they can't see you."

Blackpaw muttered an obscenity under her breath as she very reluctantly followed Oakfur's orders. Bronzepaw chuckled to himself and followed her into the canopy of a medium-sized pine. He settled down on a low branch, masked by a clump of needles; the bark was uncomfortably sticky, and he itched to lick his paws, but refrained, knowing that the movement might give away their presence to the ThunderClan cats.

Speaking of ThunderClan... the patrol Oakfur had scented emerged with a very loud rustle from the bushes. It was obvious that the four cats weren't even bothering to conceal themselves. _Stupid idiots, _Bronzepaw thought to himself. They were being so careless - strutting around like they owned the forest, oblivious to ShadowClan's presence.

"They haven't come by yet," one of them remarked. It was a very pale grey tom with a stripe down his back; Bronzepaw vaguely remembered that his name started with a "B". Was it Buzz-something? Buzzstripe? Bramblepelt?

"You're right, Bumblestripe," a grey she-cat replied. He remembered both of them in a flash: Bumblestripe was the one who had chased away his mother! And the she-cat, Dovewing was one of the Three! What was her power, though? Something to do with ears... "I can't scent them."

"I can." A golden brown tabby tom stepped forward and sniffed the stale ShadowClan scent markers. "These scents are old, but there's a fresh scent... I think they could still be around!"

"There's three of them," the fourth cat - a pale ginger she-cat with startlingly green eyes - pointed out calmly. "Oakfur, Shrewfoot, Crowfrost... your skills at hiding aren't what they used to be, I see. Didn't you notice the wind change?"

Even from his high position, Bronzepaw could hear Oakfur's growl as the small brown tom sprang neatly out of a neighbouring tree. "I was wondering how long it would take you to realise that you bumbling fools aren't alone in this forest, Sandstorm."

Bumblestripe let out a yowl of outrage, but Sandstorm silenced him with a flick of her tail across his muzzle. "We do not care whether you see us or not, because your patrols are too weak and small to attack us anyways. Three cats, Oakfur? Really? With eight apprentices? ShadowClan is _really _losing its touch."

"Eight apprentices who could take down any of your warriors in one strike - one on one," Crowfrost put in smoothly.

The golden tom's eyes flashed, easily visible in the rapidly descending twilight. "I don't see any of those apprentices here right now," he sneered. "So it looks like your claim will go unproven."

Bronzepaw stiffened, and he heard Blackpaw twitch behind him. This was clearly their cue to come in with flaming claws - Oakfur just needed to give them the signal...

"I think it's ThunderClan that's losing its touch if you're stupid enough to believe we came on a patrol on _your _borders with only three cats!" It was Shrewfoot who snarled this.

Sandstorm and the others only had time to exchange confused looks, before Blackpaw leapt out of her branch with a yowl. She landed squarely on Bumblestripe, who had padded right up to the scent-line; their pine was right above the border. Bronzepaw followed her with his own yowl, aiming for Dovewing.

Unfortunately, after seeing her Clanmate knocked down by the jet-black apprentice, Dovewing had the foresight to jump out of the way. However, she didn't quite make it; Bronzepaw managed to twist his tail enough so that his paws still slammed into her shoulder.

Both Bumblestripe and Dovewing let out yowls of shock and pain as the siblings attacked them. Bronzepaw clawed at all the fur he could reach; his ears were flattened, and his pelt was fluffed up to twice its normal size. He spotted an opening in Dovewing's weakened defense and sank his teeth into her left ear.

Shrewfoot and Crowfrost barged into Sandstorm and the other tom before they could come to the rescue. Oakfur hung back for some reason, but Bronzepaw paid him barely any attention; Dovewing had managed to free herself from his grip and lunged at him with extended claws.

The tussle was just getting heated up when a voice yowled, "STOP!"

All four pairs of fighting cats froze and stared up at the slope on ThunderClan's side of the territory. A large, brown tabby tom had appeared, flanked by two other cats - Bronzepaw's heart sank as he recognised Bramblestar. The other cats were unfamiliar: a grey tom with gleaming amber eyes, and a white warrior.

He quickly sprang away from Dovewing as Bramblestar snarled, "What in StarClan's name is going on here?"

"The ShadowClan cats provoked us," the golden tom answered immediately. His opponent, Crowfrost, opened his mouth in a snarl, but Bramblestar silenced him with a look.

"Did they, now?" The ThunderClan leader slowly began to descend to the "battlefield", the two cats following on his heels. "And you took this as an excuse to rip out some of their fur?"

"They left us no choice, Bramblestar." Sandstorm gestured to Shrewfoot with her tail, who shrunk back into the shadows, scowling. "We traded a few insults, then two of their apprentices -" she pointed at Bronzepaw - "attacked us."

Bramblestar frowned, looking around suspiciously. "I see only one apprentice."

Bronzepaw glanced at Bumblestripe, confused. Hadn't Blackpaw been there a moment ago? But the grey tom was also looking around with a puzzled expression.

"There was another cat," the golden tom meowed quickly. "A black she-cat. Maybe she hid when she saw you coming?"

"You must really be blind, Brackenfur," Oakfur sneered as he stepped out into the open, on ShadowClan's side of the border. "It was me who was fighting Bumblestripe before Bramblestar came. I sent her back to get reinforcements, which should be arriving soon."

"No, you weren't!" Bumblestripe protested. "I swear, Bramblestar, she was there, and then she disappeared -"

"Enough." Bramblestar silenced everyone with an imperious glare. "I believe both sides are at fault here, so I will let you ShadowClan cats go with only a warning. Attack one of our patrols again, _when unprovoked, _and we will make sure you pay for it."

"You've promised that a million times before," Bronzepaw heard Shrewfoot mutter under her breath. But she and Crowfrost reluctantly retreated to their side of the border. He followed her quickly, shooting one last glare at Dovewing, who met it coolly.

"See that this doesn't happen again." Bramblestar flicked his tail. "Dewpaw, Cloudtail, go back to camp and tell them we don't need reinforcements. Sandstorm, Brackenfur, Bumblestripe, Dovewing, keep marking the border. I'll make sure these ShadowClan mousebrains leave, since they don't seem to be smart enough to know not to trespass on our territory." His lip curled at the end of the sentence.

Oakfur let out a rumbling, wordless growl, but he conceded defeat nevertheless. With a jerk of his head, signalling for the rest of the patrol to follow, he turned tail and vanished into the gloomy pine forest.

Bronzepaw hesitated before following him. He knew, despite Oakfur's cover up, that Blackpaw was still here; Bumblestripe was an idiot, but he still would have know that he was fighting a black she-cat apprentice rather than a brown tom who was also a senior warrior. A suspicion formed in his mind as to what had happened, but he wanted to make sure.

"Aren't you going, apprentice?" Bramblestar's mew startled him so much that Bronzepaw almost jumped straight up into the air.

"Y-yes, Bramblestar. Just, um, thinking." With an embarrassed shrug meant to make him look harmless, Bronzepaw retreated down the path to his camp. He made a big show of picking up the pace until he knew he wouldn't be seen anymore, due to the darkness; night had truly fallen by this time. Then he stopped and listened, checking for pawsteps. He wouldn't put it past Bramblestar to try and follow him, to make sure the ShadowClan cats had truly left.

However, the forest was completely silent. He couldn't hear the patrol ahead of him, nor the ThunderClan cats behind him.

"Blackpaw?" he whispered, straining his ears for a response.

Sure enough, Bronzepaw heard the soft pawsteps of his sister somewhere in the darkness, coming from the direction of the border. "I'm here, Bronzepaw," she meowed softly. Just when he thought she must still be invisible, he saw a patch of darkness moving ahead of him. A moment later, a pair of green eyes blinked at him.

"Blackpaw? Are you still invisible?" he asked.

She snorted. "No, of course I'm invisible! That's why you can see my eyes, mousebrain!"

"Oh." Bronzepaw immediately felt stupid. "Well, what happened? What did you do? Can you control your invisibility?"

"Quiet down, someone might hear us!" she hissed. "And no, I can't control it. It just sort of... happened. One moment I was fighting Bumblestripe, and then suddenly Bramblestar appears and I freak out and somehow disappear. You guys were looking right through me, it was pretty funny. I had to be quiet, though, I think Dovewing heard me moving around behind her."

"You actually _moved around? _Without anyone noticing? That's so cool!" Bronzepaw couldn't help feeling jealous of his sister's new power, although she still couldn't control it, apparently. "So how did you stop being invisible?"

"I just kind of wished my fur to be there again," Blackpaw explained simply. "And by the way, I don't think I'm really invisible... something weird happens - my eyesight gets sort of distorted, like whenever I move around, I see what's around me at a slightly different angle. It's really strange, and it hurts like the Dark Forest." She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, wincing, as if to prove her point. "Trust me, it's not as great as it seems."

Bronzepaw shrugged. He still thought it was amazing that she had this special power. "Do you know if there's a prophecy or something about you?"

She glanced around nervously before answering. "I really hope not. To be honest, Bronzepaw... I never really believed in StarClan. I mean, it just seems kind of ridiculous to me... dead cats in the sky? Seriously? And that's where we all go when we die? And then the Dark Forest! I don't think there's an afterlife when we die, Bronzepaw. At least, I hope not."

"But what about the Great Battle? And you just said your eyes hurt like the Dark Forest!" Bronzepaw exclaimed. He couldn't believe Blackpaw had never accepted StarClan. Of course it existed - Littlecloud had told them himself about the Great Battle, and how he sometimes received omens or signs or even prophecies from StarClan, and how if an evil cat died, it went to the Dark Forest. It seemed a perfectly logical explanation.

Blackpaw flicked her tail irritably. "Well, I'm just not sure. If they prove to me that they exist, then of course I'll believe in them. But for now... I'm not convinced. Yet."

Bronzepaw shook his head disbelievingly. "All right, Blackpaw. But we should get back to camp. They'll probably be wanting an explanation from us."

"You're right. Let's go." She started running down the trail without waiting for Bronzepaw to follow. Grumbling irritably, he followed her through the forest, wincing as several brambles scratched his back; the tender skin beneath his fur immediately started to ache. He decided to see Littlecloud as soon as he got back, and to ask him about StarClan while he was at it: maybe they could send an omen to Blackpaw so she'd believe in them?

They trotted into camp well after most of the ShadowClan cats went to sleep. Only Blackstar and the elder apprentices, along with their mentors, were out; clearly there was going to a nighttime training session. Blackstar, however, headed straight to Bronzepaw and Blackpaw.

"Where were you?" he growled to Blackpaw. "You arrived well after the rest of your patrol."

"We got held back by Bramblestar," Bronzepaw put in quickly. "He just wanted to give us one last warning, since we're apprentices and he thought we didn't know not to cross borders. Not that we crossed them, anyways."

"I see. Well, you'd best be off to bed. We have a full day of training tomorrow, Blackpaw," the leader meowed.

"Yes, Blackstar," Blackpaw replied obediently. Clearly, she was too tired to engage in her usual arguments with the leader, which Bronzepaw often enjoyed watching.

"Um, Blackstar, I think I got some scratches on my back," Bronzepaw mewed hastily, as Blackstar was padding away to leave. "Can I go see Littlecloud?"

Blackstar sighed. "Go ahead. And by the way, don't forget your punishment tomorrow."

Bronzepaw winced and ducked his head. "I apologise for that, Blackstar."

"Of course you do," Blackstar rumbled. "Now, off with you, or I'll extend the punishment to two moons!" He flicked his tail, and Bronzepaw promptly scurried off.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Eeeek... I'm so sorry! I had writer's block for 2 weeks, and then I had to do a lot of editing to this chapter once I actually wrote it, because I felt like it had too much fighting. But... it's long, over 4500 words, so I guess that helps?... anyways, read and enjoy. And thank you to everyone who reviewed =)  
**

**Chapter 10  
**

Blackpaw trotted through the still-damp forest, following her mentor, who was several tail-lengths ahead of her. Occasionally, a drip of water landed on her already-soaked fur, and she twitched with annoyance but didn't stop to groom herself dry. She'd only become wet again in a few seconds.

The air was damp, and chilly for this early in the leaf-fall. Tallpoppy could be heard complaining about the drafts in the elders' den even when standing all the way across camp. The afternoon sky was still filled with soft grey water-filled clouds, although a few hints of sunlight peeked through. Blackstar had decided that after the recent rain, it was a good time to do some battle training in the training clearing. As Blackpaw was leaving camp, she had heard Tigerheart and Applefur wondering if they should take their apprentices out, too; she didn't know if Blackstar would like that, though. He preferred training her in isolation.

A large pine branch loomed ahead of her, and Blackpaw bunched her muscles, preparing to leap. A moment later, she jumped; her legs easily cleared the needles, and she landed neatly on the other side, barely breaking stride. Blackstar had already rounded the turn ahead of her. She skidded on the leaves scattered on the ground as she made the same turn, and came to a sudden halt when the training clearing appeared in front of her.

The clearing was a large, shallow dip in the ground, surrounded by the roots of the tallest oak and pine trees in the forest. The rough, scratched bark was filled with grooves that made it perfect for climbing the trees, for some aerial training. Blackpaw hoped Blackstar didn't make her do that today; she was good at climbing, but she had a perpetual fear of being stuck, and unable to get back down to the forest floor.

"If you're done sightseeing, we can get a bit of training done today," Blackstar mewed irritably, jerking her out of her thoughts. Blackpaw narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing.

"We'll be joined by four other apprentices today," Blackstar continued. "Rowanclaw, Oakfur, Olivenose, and Dawnpelt agreed to do a large training session today, to see how all of you are progressing. You may count it as an assessment."

Blackpaw's breath caught in her throat. An _assessment? _But she had only been training for... two moons? Had time really flown that quickly?

She sighed. "Well, now I think about it, I suppose it's about time. But I wish you'd given me more warning! I would've practiced!"

"Are you telling me that you don't normally practice everything that I have taught you?" Blackstar growled dangerously, crouching next to the gap in the roots from which they'd entered. "Did I not tell you the importance of hard work and practice? That is how the best warriors are made! And the most cunning ones, too. I hope you remember my special lessons, at least."

Blackpaw nodded hastily, remembering the long, complicated talks he'd given her, and the difficult tasks she had to solve by thinking creatively. "Of course, Blackstar. But I still think -"

"Silence. I hear others." Blackstar cut across her brusquely. She snapped her jaws shut, feeling miffed, but realised a moment later that he was right; Applefur walked into the training clearing, closely followed by her apprentice, Jadepaw.

"Blackstar." Applefur greeted her leader, respectfully dipping her head. Jadepaw did the same, though not before shooting Blackpaw a suspicious glance. Blackpaw narrowed her eyes in return, wondering what made Jadepaw look so hostile.

"Are the others coming soon? We don't have much time to waste," Blackstar growled.

"I didn't see them." Applefur sat primly next to Blackstar, a good tail-length away, yet seeming much too close for it to be merely innocent. To Blackpaw's interest, Blackstar shifted uncomfortably, but did not move away. Jadepaw hesitated for a moment, then took a seat on the other side of her mentor. This led Blackpaw to sit across from Blackstar, separated from the other three. She didn't think it was entirely an accident, but said nothing.

The silence stretched, becoming awkward the longer and longer it went on. Blackpaw's tail swished back and forth, and she glared at Jadepaw just for something to do. Jadepaw grinned back, which made her blink in confusion. What was going on here?

_I wish I was an adult, _she thought with irritation. _Then I'd be able to understand all the weird things that cats do around me. Oh, and I'd know more about prophecies, too. _The thought of her strange powers immediately made her heart speed up with anxiety. Her power of invisibility, or whatever it was - Blackpaw still wasn't sure - hadn't reappeared since the sunset patrol, two moons ago. She kept worrying constantly whenever she was spooked - what if someone tried to scare her for a laugh, and she just disappeared? The whole Clan would start asking questions, and then... she didn't even want to think about what would happen. ShadowClan distrusted the Three enough, because of their powers, and because they were ThunderClan. But at least they didn't meet on a day-to-day basis. Blackpaw was scared that if the other cats found out, they'd chase her off, afraid of even being near her.

Besides, she wasn't even born in ShadowClan. What if her adopted Clan distrusted her enough to send her home to the Tribe, in the faraway mountains?

She tried to think about something else, but found that she couldn't concentrate on any one thing. The silence was _killing _her. Couldn't someone at least move their tail, or something?

Just as Blackpaw was about to open her mouth to break the unbearable tension, footsteps sounded from around the corner. A moment later, Oakfur and Moonpaw trotted in, closely followed by Rowanclaw, Yewpaw, Dawnpelt, and Jewelpaw.

"Ah. Good. You're here." Blackstar stood abruptly, swishing his tail around so that it almost flicked Applefur across her face; she twitched her whiskers crossly. "Where are Olivenose and Snarlpaw? It is unlike them to be late."

Dawnpelt shrugged. "Snarlpaw sprained his paw, and Olivenose said there wasn't much point of him coming in that case."

"Very well." Blackstar looked around at all the waiting cats. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get into battle positions!"

"Pardon, Blackstar, but do we go with partners?" Jewelpaw piped up in her sweet voice, from beside Dawnpelt.

"Rowanclaw, assign partners, please. I'll be watching from above." Blackstar sprang neatly into one of the oak trees and settled down on an overhanging branch. "Well?" he meowed impatiently. "Get going!"

"Yes, Blackstar." Rowanclaw glanced around the clearing, taking in every detail. "All right, we're going to make this into a little tournament... I'm pairing you like this. Moonpaw, you spar with Blackpaw. Jewelpaw can go with Jadepaw, and Yewpaw battles the winner of that match. The winner of Moonpaw's match fights the loser of that match, while the other loser sits out."

"Okay!" Moonpaw replied cheerfully, seeming to be unaffected by the awkward tension in the air. He bounded over to Blackpaw, as Jewelpaw padded unhurriedly to her sister, Yewpaw trailing behind her.

"Um..." Blackpaw stood up self-consciously and faced Moonpaw. "So, do we begin, or something?"

"I think we should wait for Rowanclaw's signal," he answered happily. Blackpaw gave him an odd look, but didn't comment on his abnormally nice mood. She didn't spend much time around him, but from what she remembered from kithood, he was very bouncy and cheerful; sometimes to the point of irritating everyone around him.

"You can start... now!" Rowanclaw, calling from his position at the edge of the clearing, with the other mentors. The two pairs of fighting apprentices had ended up on opposite sides of the clearing, with Yewpaw as far away from the entrance as possible.

Blackpaw immediately dropped into a crouch and bunched her hind legs, waiting for Moonpaw to make the first move. At the same time, she observed his fighting stance. His friendly expression had vanished; his eyes were focused, and he seemed completely intent on beating her. There was no trace of the smile on his face.

He narrowed his eyes calculatingly, hesitated a moment longer - then leaped. Blackpaw was ready for him; she jumped to the side and lashed her front paws out to catch him on the flank as he dashed by her, a simple move that Blackstar had taught her a moon ago. However, Moonpaw was ready for that. He changed direction with lightning speed and got in a few hits to her face. Blackpaw gave a wordless snarl and danced back, her pride wounded slightly. She was supposed to be harder to beat!

Moonpaw gave her a moment to recover, then smirked slightly. "You ready, Blackpaw?" he taunted. She curled her lip in return, but didn't rise to the bait. Blackstar had warned her of the double-edged weapon of talking during a battle. It could distract your enemy, but you could also lose focus yourself.

This time, Blackpaw was the first to strike. She ran at Moonpaw, preparing to use a new move that Blackstar had taught her recently. As Moonpaw jumped to the side, just like she had a few moments earlier, Blackpaw leaped up and did a little twist in midair, so that she landed on top of Moonpaw. The move took longer than she had hoped, but Moonpaw was too surprised to get out of the way. She landed squarely on his back and pushed all her weight into his shoulders, forcing him to sink to the ground. He struggled under her, but she pressed harder with her paws and gently closed her teeth over his ear, preventing him from moving his head unless he wanted half his ear torn off.

However, Moonpaw had a different strategy. He rolled over, trying to squish Blackpaw against the ground; his head moved with her, so that his ear was still safe. Blackpaw gave a little yelp of surprise, releasing his ear involuntarily, and scrabbled against his back to get him off of her. After a few moments of struggling, she managed to get him off. Without further ado, she leaped on him, this time with his back pressed to the ground and his belly exposed. Before Moonpaw could push her off or roll over again, she bit down on his neck and held her teeth there, jaw trembling slightly with the tension of trying not to bite down.

"Blackpaw wins," Rowanclaw said from somewhere behind her. "You can get off him now."

Blackpaw jumped off of Moonpaw and shook her pelt, looking away awkwardly as he stood up slowly. When she dared to glance again, feeling a mixture of delight at winning and guilt, she saw that Moonpaw had his usual happy expression on.

"That was a good battle," he meowed warmly.

"Uh... thanks..." Blackpaw trailed off, looking around to see who had won the other match. Of course, it was Jadepaw; Jewelpaw was a great hunter, but she wasn't much good at fighting.

"Moonpaw, next time, you have to be faster. Blackpaw, your moves were good, but you were too slow at executing them. Try to stick to the basic tactics, because those are faster," Olivenose meowed, padding over. "I know Blackstar's probably been giving you advanced training of some sort, but in these kinds of battles where you can't use your claws or teeth properly, speed is your main weapon."

"Okay, Olivenose." Blackpaw dipped her head to the she-cat. "Thank you." Inwardly, she seethed, angry at her dismissal of Blackpaw's advanced moves. Blackstar had taught them to her himself, which meant that they were good! And battling wasn't the _only _thing she learned from him. _You have no idea what we do, and you're not my mentor, anyway, so you can't tell me what to do, _Blackpaw thought malevolently.

A little voice inside her told her that she was being stubborn and prideful, but she pushed it away and ignored its words.

"Jewelpaw, come over here, so you give Jadepaw and Yewpaw some room," Dawnpelt meowed from her position a few tail-lengths away. Olivenose dipped her head to Blackpaw in return and stepped back to where Dawnpelt was sitting, and Jewelpaw trotted over to Blackpaw.

"Blackpaw, remember what Olivenose said," Blackstar called from above her. She looked up, scowling; she'd forgotten he was there, but his warning about this being an assessment came back to her, and she brought her gaze back to Jewelpaw again. She _had _to win this, to show that she was a great apprentice, better than all of Ivytail's kits, especially with the leader as her mentor.

"Ready?" Rowanclaw asked both pairs of apprentices. They all nodded, Blackpaw not letting her eyes stray from Jewelpaw. She tried not to let herself get drawn into the amber eyes and made sure to pay attention to her body movements, trying to predict how the tortoiseshell would strike.

"Go!"

Blackpaw wasted no time; she immediately lunged at Jewelpaw, aiming a couple of blows. The tortoiseshell apprentice tried to block them, but Blackpaw simply leaped on her and forced her to the ground, almost effortlessly. Jewelpaw struggled a bit, but she held on firmly.

"I give up," the pretty she-cat panted after a few seconds. Blackpaw, who was about to pretend to bite on Jewelpaw's neck to end the battle anyway, gracefully jumped off. "You fought well, Blackpaw."

"So did you," Blackpaw said evenly, keeping any disdain out of her voice. It was an obvious lie; it had only taken her a few seconds to defeat Jewelpaw, but she didn't want to make the other cat feel even worse about herself.

They had finished so quickly that the mentors were still watching Yewpaw and Jadepaw's battle. Those two were fighting hard; both were extremely good, unlike their siblings, and they used several moves that Blackpaw hadn't even seen before. She suspected that they might be improvising a lot, because it was fast getting dirty.

Yewpaw growled and fastened his teeth in Jadepaw's ear; she snarled back and jabbed him in the eye with her paw, forcing him to draw back. They suddenly sprang apart and reared up on their hind legs, trying to knock each other over. Blackpaw watched with grudging admiration as Jadepaw suddenly dropped to the ground and gave Yewpaw three quick bites to his back leg. Yewpaw howled with pain and brought his paws down on Jadepaw's throat, holding her to the ground.

"Yewpaw wins!" Rowanclaw announced. "That was very well done. Jadepaw, at the end, I suggest you take only one bite and immediately get out, as you are vulnerable to Yewpaw's attacks. You need to be faster."

"Yes, Rowanclaw." Jadepaw stepped away from her brother and dipped her head. Blackpaw caught her gaze and gave her a small smirk. _I won, and she lost._

Rowanclaw turned to Yewpaw. "And you, Yewpaw, must be faster. In a real battle, Jadepaw's bites could very well have crippled your leg."

"Of course, Rowanclaw. I'll be more careful." Yewpaw also dipped his head, but even that didn't mask the smug gleam in his eyes. Blackpaw narrowed her eyes. She knew she had to win, and yet she also felt a tiny worm of fear in her heart. Yewpaw was a very good fighter; he even beat Snarlpaw a couple times during practice battles, and Snarlpaw was easily the best fighter out of all the apprentices. If she lost, she risked disappointing Blackstar, as well as failing her assessment.

Olivenose's voice brought her back to the present with a little jerk. "Blackpaw, may I give you some advice?" the she-cat hissed in a low voice, so no one could overhear.

"Er... yes?" Blackpaw tried to swallow her pride. What Olivenose said could very well lead her to victory.

"Blackpaw, you are Blackstar's apprentice, and like I said before, he probably taught you certain advanced moves that normally apprentices wouldn't be taught until much later. However, you have to remember that Yewpaw is the deputy's apprentice. Rowanclaw almost certainly taught him these moves too, and I mean no offense, but Yewpaw has probably already mastered these moves, while you still need to give them a little work. He is strong and fast, and very talented. However, you are quick-thinking and clever. What you lack in size or strength, you make up with cunning. That's why I think you should stick to basic moves, but use your creativity to combine them in different ways, and maybe think of new combinations. That way, Yewpaw won't know what to expect from you, and you might take him by surprise. But you'll have to stay on your toes, and make sure he doesn't catch you, or he'll wrestle you down and you'll lose. Do you understand?"

Blackpaw tilted her head, considering Olivenose's words. There was certainly a grain of truth in what she'd said. "All right," she said grudgingly. "I'll try and do that. Thank you, Olivenose."

"I'm happy to help." Olivenose licked Blackpaw's head and stepped back to where Applefur and Dawnpelt were sitting. Blackpaw glanced up at Blackstar and noticed that he had been watching the exchange with narrowed eyes. She gave him a quick nod to reassure him she was fine, and looked back at her opponent.

Rowanclaw had just stepped away from Yewpaw; he had clearly been giving his apprentice advice, just as Olivenose had done for Blackpaw. Yewpaw was staring at Blackpaw with a calculating gaze. _He's sizing me up, _she thought with a little shiver. He seemed so focused, and poised. Almost deadly.

"Are you ready?" Rowanclaw asked. Blackpaw spared the audience a quick glance before nodding. The other three apprentices were sitting with their mentors, staring at either her or Yewpaw.

"All right... begin!"

Yewpaw wasted no time for thinking. He ran straight at Blackpaw, and she had only a second to think of what to do. Did she duck? Leap up?

She danced to the side at the very last moment, so Yewpaw's outstretched paws grazed her left flank. He growled and switched directions with astonishing speed, lashing out at Blackpaw's face. She hissed and batted his paws away, retreating slightly to keep out of his reach. No, this was no good, because he was driving her back, she needed to attack, and quickly, but how? He left no openings.

Yewpaw advanced slowly and steadily, lashing out with his front paws and occasionally snapping at Blackpaw with his teeth, making her retreat. She felt close to panicking - what could she do? A bunch of moves ran through her head. She could leap onto his back, try to outflank him, duck under him, or just... counterattack?

Having reached a plan, Blackpaw abruptly stopped retreating. Her blood suddenly felt full of fire, and everything seemed a hundred times brighter and sharper. "Hey, Yewpaw," she mewed boldly, "since when did you start eating crowfood?"

"_What?" _Her comment had proved distracting enough; Yewpaw abruptly stopped advancing, and stared at her. "What is that supposed to mean, mousebrain?"

"I don't know, maybe you should figure it out yourself?" Blackpaw lashed out with her right paw, catching him hard on the nose. He reared back, hissing, and gave a swipe in retaliation; she easily dodged. "If I'm the mousebrain, surely that means I'm not intelligent enough to tell you?"

"Stop babbling!" Yewpaw leapt forward, aiming for her shoulders. Blackpaw ducked and rolled over, so that when he soared over her, she could kick him back with her hind legs. He gave growl of pain as her paws collided with his belly and sent him flying forward. That had been a basic move; she was surprised that he'd let her do that. But then, her talking strategy was working. He was, as she'd hoped, distracted by the nonsense coming from her mouth.

Blackpaw quickly sprang to her feet and faced Yewpaw, who'd turned and lunged at her again. She exchanged a couple of blows with him, and then swiped at his left ear. He leaned to his right, and she reared up slightly and gave him a glancing blow on his other ear. Before he could do much more than jump backwards, wincing with pain, she retreated, preventing a counterattack.

"I'll get you for that, Blackpaw!" Yewpaw yowled. This time, he didn't lunge straight at her, but hesitated.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Raven got your paws or something?" Blackpaw taunted, remembering in a flash what Snowpaw had been talking about the night before their ceremony. That seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Shut up," Yewpaw snapped. He took several steps forward, then leapt up, clearly aiming for her back. Blackpaw was tempted to rear up on her hind legs and push him back with her front paws, as Blackstar had taught her several days before; but she remembered Olivenose's advice, and jumped to the left, snapping at the place she thought Yewpaw's shoulder would be when he soared past her.

Yewpaw was clearly expecting Blackpaw to use the advanced move, as his head was drawn back to avoid where her paws should have been. However, he ended up landing hard on the ground, an easy target for Blackpaw. She hit him with a couple more blows, feeling confident. Was it really this easy to defeat him? Just use some simpler moves, instead of complicated ones?

But her overconfidence cost her dearly. Yewpaw seized her momentary distraction to jump at her, and this time he managed to land on her shoulders and wrestle her to the ground. Blackpaw yowled and tried to scrabble at his belly, but his hind paws blocked her own, and she ended up pinned down under his greater weight. He smirked at her, eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You think you've won? I'll show you -" Blackpaw tried to roll over, as Moonpaw had done in their battle. However, Yewpaw easily prevented her from doing so by pressing his paws into her shoulders. Desperately, Blackpaw stretched her head forward and snapped at his nose.

As expected, Yewpaw jerked back to save his face, releasing Blackpaw in the process. She managed to free herself, and she even landed a few kicks to his stomach, but then she made the disastrous mistake of rolling over onto her belly. Yewpaw seized the chance, and immediately pressed his paws to her shoulders again, effectively preventing her from moving. Another moment, and his teeth were pulling gently at her scruff. "I won," he announced, his voice muffled by her fur.

Blackpaw hissed, but knew that struggling any more was pointless. "Let me up," she snarled.

"Yewpaw won. Good job." Rowanclaw's voice was filled with barely disguised pride. "You can let her go now."

Yewpaw jumped off of Blackpaw and shook his pelt, watching as she awkwardly got to her feet. Her pelt was dusty and matted from all that rolling around, and she really wanted to lick herself clean, but knew that this wasn't the time.

A soft thud told her that Blackstar had jumped from his perch. "You both fought very well," he growled. "Yewpaw, since you won, you get first pick at the fresh-kill pile tonight. Everyone else, thank you for training. You're dismissed."

There was a lot of rustling of fur and crinkling of dead leaves as the six onlookers got to their paws and started to leave the clearing. Blackpaw kept her eyes carefully on the ground and padded to her mentor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jadepaw congratulating Yewpaw, the latter looking pleased with himself.

Blackstar waited until everyone had gone, including Rowanclaw and Yewpaw. Blackpaw didn't look up as he padded towards her.

"Look at me," he commanded.

She looked into his dark amber eyes and tried not to shrink back under his gaze. "I'm sorry, Blackstar, for losing to Yewpaw," she meowed in a small voice. "I promise it won't happen again. I'll train extra hard next time and learn -"

"That's enough." His words immediately cut her off, and she swallowed the rest of her weak apology. "Blackpaw, you disappointed me today."

"I-I know."

"However, I recognise that you did the best you could under the circumstances, and therefore you have not failed your assessment," Blackstar continued. "I don't know what Olivenose told you, but I suspect it was something along the lines of, 'stick to the basics, don't use moves you aren't ready to use'. Am I correct?"

"Yes," Blackpaw answered with surprise. How had he known?

"I realised that myself while watching you train. You're skilled, Blackpaw, but you're not as skilled as Yewpaw - not yet. And he won't be the most dangerous enemy you face in your life." Blackstar's gaze clouded for a second, but it quickly returned to normal. "In the next moon, we will work on reinforcing and mastering the moves and techniques you already know, rather than rushing ahead, as Rowanclaw is doing. Believe me, this will pay off in the end."

Blackpaw nodded eagerly, suddenly noticing something. "So this is like a competition between you two, right?" she meowed lightly.

"What?- no! What are you talking about?" Blackstar growled. "That's enough of that! Do you understand what I told you?"

"Of course," Blackpaw scoffed. "I'm not an idiot. Can we go back to camp now?" Her mood had lightened considerably with Blackstar's lecture, and she also realised just how hungry she was. "I haven't eaten since sunrise."

Blackstar sighed. "Well, I suppose. And make sure your brother did his task for the day. How many days does he have left again?"

Blackpaw counted quickly in her head. "Um - he's done a half-moon, which means another half-moon. That'll be just days after the next Gathering." Thoughts of what happened at the last Gathering, and the disastrous meeting with Snowpaw, flew through her head; but she quickly pushed them away. This was _not _the time to think about her new powers, and that stupid prophecy.

"All right, then. Hurry up already, I haven't got all day!"

She scurried off down the path back to camp, ears flattened against her head. _I've gotten off lucky with Blackstar, _she thought. _At least he didn't assign me to cleaning out bedding._

**A/N: Don't forget to review ;)_  
_**

**~Fire  
**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: A faster update!... and my third consecutive chapter with more than 4000 words. Dawn and Shadows also hits the 40k mark with this update.**

**Chapter 11**

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the Highledge for a meeting!"

Snowpaw looked up from the small mouse she was eating. Bramblestar was standing on the Highledge, his tabby pelt turned a dark auburn colour by a ray of sunlight. The shade matched Bronzepaw's fur exactly, and she felt a hard lump in her throat at the thought of her brother. She hadn't seen him for more than half a moon.

Slowly, the rest of ThunderClan started trickling out of their various dens and hiding places. Poppyfrost, a tortoiseshell pregnant queen, waddled out of the nursery with the kittypet, Daisy, at her heels. Graystripe and Dustpelt came out of the elders' den and sat a few tail-lengths in front of it. To Snowpaw's disgust, Lilypaw, Seedpaw, Dewpaw, and the other Snowpaw trotted out of the apprentices' den and sat as close to Highledge as possible. There was an unusually smug expression on Dewpaw's face, even more smug than usual; Snowpaw wondered what _that _was all about.

Finally, about fifteen or so warriors emerged, one by one, either from their den or from around the clearing. Cloudtail sat with Brightheart, of course, and Brackenfur; a couple more cats sat behind them. It took Snowpaw a moment to remember their names. Oh, right - Millie, Cinderheart, and Whitewing. A bunch of gossipy she-cats. She sniffed and looked away, also searching for a spot for her to sit (preferably as far away from the rest of the apprentices as possible).

As most of the cats took their seats, Snowpaw spotted a strategic-looking location next to Dovewing and Moleclaw. She hurried over and sat down, just as Bramblestar opened his mouth to speak.

"Today, my friends, we are gathered here for one of my favorite ceremonies!" Bramblestar purred, loudly enough so that everyone could hear. Murmurs and whispers broke out amongst the cats; most of them wanted to know exactly _which _ceremony was going to be performed.

To Snowpaw's shock, Moleclaw leaned over to her and whispered, "I bet he's going to make Dewpaw and Snowpaw warriors!"

"Oh! Y-you, um, think so?" Snowpaw stammered, trying to think of something to say. She could count the number of times a cat spoke willingly to her since her arrival on her front paws.

"You're right, Moleclaw - look at Dewpaw's smug face," Dovewing muttered from her other side. "He's going to be insufferable once he's a warrior. I don't know what Lilypaw sees in him."

"Lilypaw fancies Dewpaw?" Snowpaw asked, suddenly very interested. Maybe she could use this tidbit of information to blackmail Lilypaw into leaving her alone! Wait, that was mean... but they weren't exactly nice to her, either, were they?... But blackmailing was _wrong!_

"Yeah," Moleclaw snorted. "Haven't you - oh, right," he cut himself off hastily. Snowpaw could guess what he was going to say - hadn't she noticed how they'd been hanging around each other a lot lately? Yes, she'd noticed a little, but she also spent most of her time trying to stay as far away from her Clanmates as possible. Especially the other apprentices.

"Silence!" Bramblestar yowled, immediately silencing all the conversations. "Ahem. As I was saying, today we are gathered for my favorite ceremony: the naming of two new warriors. Dewpaw, Snowpaw, please step forward."

The eldest apprentices padded to the front of the crowd, their heads held high. Many of the warriors were purring their congratulations, even though they hadn't received their new names yet.

Bramblestar gazed up at the bloodstained sky. "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.

"Dewpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Dewpaw looked up at his leader. "I do," he meowed confidently.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dewpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dewfang. StarClan honours your determination and quick thinking, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Bramblestar leaped down lightly from his perch, and touched his nose to Dewfang's head. The new warrior licked Bramblestar on the shoulder, then stepped back respectfully, leaving his brother to stand before the leader.

"Snowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Snowpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Snowheart. StarClan honours your courage and honesty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Bramblestar repeated the final part of the ceremony with Snowheart. After he stepped back, the Clan started calling their names.

"Dewfang! Snowheart! Dewfang! Snowheart!"

"You know," Dovewing said casually, continuing their earlier conversation as if nothing had happened, "it'll be much easier to tell you two apart, now that your names are different again."

"I guess so," Snowpaw agreed uncertainly. "Except no one wants to talk to me, anyways."

"_I'm_ talking to you," the she-cat pointed out. "And really, Snowpaw, not all ThunderClan cats are so unfriendly. If you'd just made a bit more effort to fit in, and make conversations, I'm sure they would be much nicer to you. But all you do is walk around, moping, and wishing to be back in ShadowClan. I know you lost your only family, and you're probably still miserable, but life goes on."

Instinctively, Snowpaw's pelt bristled. "You don't know _anything _about what it's like to leave your only family to go to an enemy Clan!" she hissed. "Who are _you _to tell me to 'make a bit more effort'? I don't _want _to fit in with ThunderClan!"

"I'm only looking out for you, and contrary to your opinion, I _don't _like seeing other cats miserable, even ShadowClan cats," Dovewing mewed patiently. "Especially young apprentices like you. Personally, I don't think it matters what Clan you're from - you're still lost, and alone, and that's sad."

"Whatever." Snowpaw turned away and shut her eyes, trying to block out the kind words that were piercing her heart like kind thorns; bleeding out all the fear and pain and hatred - _since when did she hate anyone?_ - through her unshed tears.

She didn't know how long she sat there, but eventually she felt the warmth of Dovewing to her left and Moleclaw to her right leave her, so that there was only chilly air all around. The rest of the Clan seemed to have dispersed to their dens.

"Snowpaw, what are you doing?"

Or not.

Who was talking to her? It was - oh. It was one of _them_. Snowpaw wished she could just crouch here forever, and no one would speak to her ever again, but she knew that Lilypaw and Seedpaw would never go away, not when she was this vulnerable. They saw it as a golden opportunity.

"Please leave me alone," she whispered almost noiselessly, before opening her eyes.

A dark tabby she-cat with white patches stared at her, eyes narrowed maliciously; it was she who had spoken. Beside her was Seedpaw, her pale ginger fur turned a reddish brown in the dying light.

"Leave you alone?" Lilypaw asked sweetly. "Why, we couldn't do that! That would be very _rude. _Besides, all we wanted to do was share some fresh-kill with you."

"Really..." Snowpaw cast her gaze around the camp, but no one in the vicinity was noticing what was happening. Besides, the nearest cat, Ivypool, would hardly care; she'd sooner join in than stop the bullying.

"Of course!" Seedpaw purred. "Here, we saved this just for you." She pawed a mouse that was lying beside her to Snowpaw.

"What is it?" Snowpaw asked cautiously, sniffing at the food. Surely they weren't this nice... this had to be some kind of trick.

"It's a piece of crowfood we found lying around in the forest - just like you," Lilypaw hissed. "Eat it."

"Wh-what? No! I'll get sick and die!" Snowpaw exclaimed, immediately scrabbling to get away from the mouse. This was an all-time low - trying to kill her with maggots and rotten meat! Her stomach lurched sickeningly just thinking about it.

"And do you think we care?" Seedpaw inquired icily.

"I would hope so, since she is your Clanmate, and the warrior code tells us to be loyal to our Clan," Jayfeather meowed in an even colder tone.

All three she-cats yelped and looked around. The grey medicine cat was standing at the entrance of his den, which was only a tail-length away; they'd been too distracted to notice him coming out.

"J-Jayfeather! Um, hi!" Seedpaw squeaked. "We were just... um... having a little fun! Playing a joke! It's all friendly, right, Snowpaw?" Both she and Lilypaw looked at Snowpaw pleadingly.

For a moment, Snowpaw was tempted to rat them out to Jayfeather, make sure they were punished for bullying her; maybe even dragged in front of Bramblestar, and kicked out of the Clan. She wanted to make sure they suffered as much as they made her suffer... it was what Blackpaw and Bronzepaw would've done. They wouldn't even be hesitating right now.

"Well?" Jayfeather prompted. "Is this true, Snowpaw?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Are you really _friends?"_

But Snowpaw wasn't that mean. She knew that it was her own fault, too, for being so withdrawn and snappish and unwilling to make friends with anyone. She was letting everyone think of her as that miserable, antisocial ShadowClan apprentice that didn't want to be here. In a way, they were just punishing her for her own mistakes. Bullying her was wrong, it only made the problem worse, but it was her own fault for letting them, and not making friends and speaking up sooner.

"No," she mewed finally. "They weren't just being friendly. They were bullying me. But I don't want them to be punished."

Lilypaw's mouth dropped open. She and her sister stared at Snowpaw.

Jayfeather tilted his head; his expression was unreadable, but his blue eyes seemed to pierce Snowpaw's fur. "Are you sure?" he asked in a level tone. "I could take this to Bramblestar, if you'd like. Bullying is unacceptable in ThunderClan."

"I know. But... I'd just like them to stop. Give them a warning." Snowpaw glared at Lilypaw and Seedpaw. "If they do it again, I _will _make sure they're punished."

"All right. You two, you heard her. Run along now." Jayfeather leveled his glare at the apprentices, and they ran off with a couple of little squeaks. Then, he turned to Snowpaw, who was looking back at him calmly.

"Come inside my den," Jayfeather mewed at last, turning around and padding into his home. "Mind the herbs. We need to talk."

Snowpaw shook her head at his disconnected statements, but followed him into the darkness of the den. She could see easily, of course, but in the darkness it was harder to avoid getting lost, staring into those unreadable eyes.

Once she was was inside, Jayfeather indicated a mossy nest a few tail-lengths from his own. "Sit."

Snowpaw sat. Jayfeather curled up in his nest, so that only his head was visible. They looked at each other for a while. Snowpaw tried to guess what the medicine cat was thinking.

"Why did you let them off so easily?" Jayfeather asked eventually. "If it was me, I would've made sure they couldn't leave camp for a moon, and that they got all the dirtiest jobs. Oh, and talked to Brightheart, of course; she can be quite a menace."

"I don't know. I just... I can't really blame them for wanting to hurt me. I'm a stranger to them, to everyone, really. I haven't tried to adjust, or anything, and that basically invited everyone to shun me. Or, in their case, bully me. Besides, I don't want to go to all the trouble of bothering Bramblestar, and then having the rest of the Clan hate me even more for getting Lilypaw and Seedpaw in trouble."

"You have an acute sense of how other cats feel," Jayfeather observed.

"Well... yeah, I guess so. I've spent most of my kithood just watching the other kits play, rather than joining in." Snowpaw shrugged, forgetting that Jayfeather couldn't see her.

He nodded slightly. "About that. Bramblestar told me that you mentioned having some sort of skills with reading signs... could you explain that?"

"Um..." Snowpaw blinked, caught off-guard. Since that conversation a half-moon ago, she hadn't really thought about her conversations with Bramblestar, or with Jayfeather about a possible prophecy. Sure, she'd done a few readings, but they didn't yield anything interesting, and her new apprentice training left little time for stuff like that. "Well, I just learned to mix herbs a certain way, and I learned a few rituals. With practice, I was able to accurately guess what would happen in the near future."

"And who taught you this?" Jayfeather asked carefully.

"I... no one taught me! I taught myself. It just sort of... happened... well, um, one day I just tried mixing herbs for fun, and I realized I could read them, or something, it's kind of hard to explain..." Snowpaw trailed off uncertainly. How _had _she learned to read herbs? It was so long ago, she barely remembered what had happened. It was a sunny day, though, at the end of leaf-bare. A brief image of a leaf falling from a blue sky came to her, but then it faded without a trace.

Jayfeather twitched his ears. "I see. So it seems like you were just born with the talent?"

"Yes. I mean, I guess so."

"Okay," he meowed after a short pause. "Thank you. Now, there's one other thing I want to talk to you about. Did you think any more about the prophecy? Whether there is one about you and your siblings, I mean? Did StarClan or the Tribe of Endless Hunting speak to you?"

"No! I mean, no, they didn't speak, and yes, I thought about it. A little." All right, maybe more than a _little, _but Jayfeather didn't need to know that.

"I think... I'm starting to get the suspicion that you're the daughter of Stoneteller, Snowpaw, and something really bad has happened to the Tribe. I think that maybe you and your siblings need to journey there, and find out what happened that made your mother escape to the Clans."

"_What?" _Snowpaw gasped. Journey to the Tribe? "Who's Stoneteller? I heard Bramblestar mention him, but I don't know what that is. Is he the leader?"

"Well... he's sort of like the leader and medicine cat all at once, and he doesn't have a deputy," Jayfeather explained. "He reads signs that the Tribe of Endless Hunting sends, and interprets them so that he knows how they want him to lead the Tribe of Rushing Water."

Snowpaw blinked. That sounded a lot like what she did! "What does this have to do with a prophecy, then?"

The medicine cat hesitated for just a second longer than was necessary. "Nothing. I think there isn't a prophecy, and that the reason our powers don't work is because you're from the mountains. Maybe something got passed on to you from your mother, that makes you immune, or something. It's not that important."

_But it is, _Snowpaw thought. _It's important if you've been wanting to talk to me about it, on more than one occasion. _However, she didn't voice her thoughts. Instead, she asked, "When will we go? Does Bramblestar approve?"

Jayfeather shrugged. "I'll speak to him. He's the one who originally suggested it, although we haven't discussed it much. In any case, I think I've given you enough to think about for tonight, hmmmm? You should go now."

"But-" Snowpaw started to protest.

"Don't argue!" Jayfeather snapped. He seemed to be back to his usual, grouchy self. "I said go back to your den, before I chase you out!"

"Y-yes, Jayfeather," Snowpaw mumbled, hastily exiting the den.

-x-

The sky was still dark when Snowpaw stood at the entrance to the apprentices' den the next morning. In the east, there was a faint glow, signalling the arrival of dawn; but it was still so far off that the dawn patrol hadn't even left yet, and Berrynose was still snoozing at the camp entrance. From her position, she couldn't see him, but his snores carried all the way across the clearing.

Snowpaw shivered slightly in the frosty air, and fluffed out her white fur. She silently cursed its glowing whiteness, but at this early hour, there weren't any cats around to see her sneaking out of camp.

What was she doing? Last night, after the talk with Jayfeather, Snowpaw had felt a strong urge to do a future reading, but knew that it was impossible, as there were still many other cats around who would see her leaving camp, get suspicious, follow her, and... discover her most precious secret: the only thing she could do that no one in ThunderClan could take away from her. Or _had _taken away yet, anyways.

So she ditched an extra few hours of sleep, and snuck out early.

_Where should I get the herbs? _Snowpaw wondered. The easiest place would, of course, be Jayfeather's den, but with his sharp senses, he'd probably wake up immediately. That left only the forest, but she wasn't familiar with all the herb locations yet. (Correction: she hadn't followed Jayfeather on his herb-gathering trips enough times yet.)

With a weary sigh, she took a step towards the entrance tunnel. And stopped.

Two heads swiveled around to stare at her. Dewfang was shooting her a glare, while Snowheart looked merely curious.

_Mouse dung! _Snowpaw cursed mentally. Of course, she'd completely forgotten: they'd been keeping their vigil right next to the tunnel! And she hadn't seen them because they were partially hidden by a clump of wayward brambles. But then, why was Berrynose still keeping watch?

The answer came to her in a flash - Dewfang and Snowheart couldn't speak, so if they saw someone entering/leaving, they couldn't report it to Firestar. And why would they need to report someone? Well, of course, if that someone was Snowpaw, sneaking out to visit her sister.

She felt a dull flame of anger glow in her heart. Even after more than a moon, they _still _didn't trust her. ThunderClan still thought of her as a prisoner, as the enemy. She'd resigned herself to her fate here already, yet they _still _insisted on reminding her that she couldn't be trusted, because she was a ShadowClan cat!

Snowpaw growled softly to herself, and took a step forward, locking eyes with Dewfang. He gave her a challenging stare, and she stared right back.

"I'm going out into the forest," she offered as she came closer to the tunnel. "I'm allowed to, right?"

Snowheart shrugged, while Dewfang shook his head firmly.

"Why not?" she asked in an innocent tone, coming even closer. "I was just going to collect some herbs for Jayfeather; he'd asked me last night. You can even report me to Bramblestar, if you wish, when the sun comes up. That shouldn't be too long from now, right?"

Snowheart nodded, and pointed with his tail to the entrance, as if allowing her to pass. Dewfang didn't take his eyes off of Snowpaw. His gaze was cold and suspicious, now.

"Oh, come on," Snowpaw said with annoyance, dropping all innocence. "If I was meeting ShadowClan cats, I would've left in the middle of the night, through the dirtplace or something, right? I wouldn't be inviting you to report me! So will you let me go, already?!"

The grey warrior hesitated. Then, with a lash of his tail, he stepped aside, freeing the tunnel for Snowpaw to go through.

"Thank you," she growled, as she passed the two brothers.

She could still feel two pairs of eyes boring into her, until the shadows concealed her form.

-x-

By the time Snowpaw had gathered the things she needed - moss, a cobweb, a perfectly shaped oak leaf, some thyme, and several juniper berries - the sun was well over the horizon. She knew that Dewfang would've reported her leaving to Bramblestar by now, and if she didn't come back soon, then they'd start looking for her along the ShadowClan border.

She decided to do her reading by the lake, as it seemed peaceful and warm; the leaf-fall chill that seeped through the forest hadn't yet reached the pebbly shore. Snowpaw set down the bundle of future reading materials and crouched on the sparse grass in the shade of a tall birch tree. The sun cast dappled light on the ground in front of her. She nodded to herself. _This was the perfect spot._

Before beginning to spread out her supplies, Snowpaw took a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing herself to feel the river of time trickling all around her, and to submerge herself in its energies. For a moment, all she saw was darkness. But then, a faint, cold sensation started to creep through her fur. She shivered involuntarily, but continued to open herself into the mysterious flow. Soon, her whole body felt as cold as ice, and as finely strung as a Twoleg foxtrap; she felt as if any sudden movement would make her shatter into a million pieces.

Snowpaw opened her eyes.

The world was a hundred times brighter, and sharper. She could see all the way to the RiverClan shore, as clearly as if it was only a few tail-lengths away. The sun was almost bright enough to blind her, and she tried to squint, but her eyes wouldn't listen. Every detail popped out, and all the colours were much more vibrant than usual.

Instinctively, just as she always did, Snowpaw inhaled deeply. The air was suddenly full of many rich flavours, from the mouthwatering scent of a nearby mouse, to the very faint smell of toadstools, many, many cat-lengths down the shore from her. Her ears were pricked so much that they were starting to ache; they swiveled back and forth, seeming to hear everything throughout the forest, even the stream on the WindClan border... unless that was just her imagination.

_It's time._

Still moving carefully, so as not to snap out of her trance, Snowpaw looked downwards at the herbs, moss, and cobweb. They were also very bright and sharp; every thread of the cobweb sparkled as if it had water droplets sprinkled all over it, and the oak leaf had a thousand different hues. As if they'd come alive with their own will, her paws slid towards the materials, and began to mix and tear them with practiced ease. She barely knew what she was doing; it was almost as if her paws were being controlled by _something else._

StarClan? The Tribe of Endless Hunting?

The river of time itself?

Snowpaw gasped involuntarily, as the world seemed to shift. Her fur suddenly heated up. Her paws stopped moving, her eyes drifted shut, her amazing senses faded into her ordinary ones. She felt the loss as if part of her soul had suddenly withered and died.

But there was still something left over from those minutes of clarity: the message that her herbs would show her.

She opened her eyes and gazed upon her work.

A strangled gasp escaped her.

Quickly, Snowpaw looked around. Was anyone near? Had anyone seen her do the herb reading? She scented the air, but there was only the much fainter scent of mouse. Feeling her fur start to bristle instinctively, she hurriedly swiped her claws across the reading, destroying the ill-fated message. To make sure absolutely _no one _would be able to read it, she even scooped up some dirt and mixed it in, so that the herbs were entirely scrambled. Snowpaw's tail lashed as she retreated, back towards ThunderClan camp. As soon as the lake was no longer visible through the trees, she broke into a run, skidding on the dead leaves as she rounded sharp turns and leaped over fallen trees with newfound ease.

As she ran, her paws thrumming on the forest floor, she heard the prophecy that she'd unconsciously dreaded receiving, ever since Jayfeather's warning, repeating over and over in her head. And she wondered, despairingly, how she'd ever be able to explain to _anyone _what it was supposed to mean.

How could she, if she didn't even know who had sent it?

The prophecy pounded through her brain, even as she tried to erase it.

_Feathered shadows will rise from Dawn, and melt the ice that lurks in stone.  
_

The prophecy pointed straight towards the mountains... towards her home.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Bronzepaw's fur was prickling uncomfortably again. He desperately wanted to reach over and lick it smooth, so that his shoulder blades would stop itching already, but he knew that he couldn't; the trespassing RiverClan patrol that they were stalking would be alerted to their presence, and their chance to capture them would be lost.

He was crouching behind an elder bush with Moonpaw and Tigerheart. In the young pine tree above him, he knew that Rowanclaw was waiting on a wide branch. Jadepaw had already been sent to camp for reinforcements, in case this whole setup was really a RiverClan ambush.

"Hey, Minnowtail," a dark brown tabby tom called out. "How much farther do we have to go?"

The dark grey she-cat who was trying to break through a thick bramble bush stopped, and scowled at the tom. "Be quiet, Hollowflight! There might be ShadowClan cats around, and we can't let them know we're here!"

_Too late for that,_ Bronzepaw thought, rolling his eyes slightly. These RiverClan cats were so stupid; with all the noise they were making, it was a wonder ThunderClan wasn't trampling in to investigate.

"But how much farther?" Hollowflight persisted. "And by the way, I think we took the wrong path. The way looks clearer up there."

Bronzepaw carefully turned his head to peer through the elder leaves, trying to see what Hollowflight was pointing at with his tail. Sure enough, the tom was indicating the very clear, well-trodden, scent-marked path that led straight from the RiverClan border (which was around twenty tail-lengths away) to the ShadowClan camp.

"Shut up!" Minnowtail snapped. "Go do something useful, like telling Pebblefoot and Mosspelt to get their lazy butts over here!"

"Fine," Hollowflight muttered. And then, in a voice so quiet that only the nearby ShadowClan cats could hear him, "stupid she-cat."

Moonpaw had to stifle a laugh. Hollowflight started trudging back through the dense undergrowth at the edge of the forest, heading towards two cats sitting on the edge of the Thunderpath.

Tigerheart snorted. "Poor Minnowtail, struggling through brambles. Don't they know _anything _about ShadowClan's territory? The only undergrowth is along the RiverClan border, and parts of the lake! It's ThunderClan where all the thorns are!"

"Well, if they knew what our territory was like inside, we'd be in pretty bad shape," Bronzepaw observed. "So let's just thank StarClan that they're too stupid to ever send spies in, or something."

Moonpaw opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, Minnowtail stopped moving, her ears pricked. She tasted the air; Bronzepaw could see her eyes narrowed in concentration. Then, suddenly, they widened, and she screeched, "SHADOWCLAN ATTACK!"

Hollowflight, who was returning with his two Clanmates to where Minnowtail was standing, stopped and gaped at her in surprise. Bronzepaw twisted his head around to see what Minnowtail was looking at, and his heart leapt with joy: the reinforcements had arrived!

Blackstar, Toadstep, Tawnypelt, Kinkfur, and Blackpaw lined the slope in front of the RiverClan warrior. "Fancy seeing you here, Minnowtail," Blackstar sneered. "What brings you to this stretch of woods? Looking for some _prey to steal?"_

"N-no! Not at all! We were just... we needed to fetch Littlecloud!" Minnowtail blurted out.

Tigerheart flicked Bronzepaw on the shoulder with his tail. Bronzepaw looked around and mouthed, _What?_

_We need to outflank them,_ Tigerheart mouthed back, gesturing with his tail in a circle. _Follow me._

_Okay._ Bronzepaw slowly got to his feet and began to run in a low crouch after Tigerheart; they were aiming to be behind Hollowflight, so that none of the RiverClan cats could escape. Bronzepaw wasn't sure what they'd do with the captured cats, but Blackstar would surely think of something.

Meanwhile, Rowanclaw jumped from his tree and padded over to Minnowtail.

"We don't believe you," he sneered. "If you wanted to talk to Littlecloud, then you'd have sent Mothwing and Willowshine."

"But - but -" Minnowtail stammered, backing away slowly. "They're sick! Really sick! That's why we need Littlecloud's help!"

"Then why did you send four cats, instead of one?" Blackstar inquired coldly. "Looks to me like you're trying to spy on us, or steal our prey."

Tigerheart, Bronzepaw, and Moonpaw were almost done their flanking maneuver. To Bronzepaw's dismay, he noticed that Hollowflight, Pebblefoot, and Mosspelt were beginning to back away, as if they were planning to flee as soon as ShadowClan attacked. _We need to stop them!_

"We see you back there!" Kinkfur called suddenly. Everyone turned to look at the three retreating RiverClan cats. "Get back here, now, or else we'll chase you to your camp, and then some!"

"RUN!" Minnowtail yowled as loudly as she could.

Pebblefoot and Mosspelt didn't need telling twice; they turned tail and ran. Hollowflight hesitated for a moment, but then he also started to run back to RiverClan territory.

Fortunately, Tigerheart had managed to lead his interception group in time. He leaped out of the undergrowth behind which he, Bronzepaw, and Moonpaw had been hiding and yowled, "Stop!"

Bronzepaw hurriedly leaped out too, stopping right in front of Pebblefoot. The grey warrior skidded to a halt, his eyes wide, and just barely missed slamming into him.

"You're surrounded," Rowanclaw snarled to Minnowtail, who was now looking positively terrified; her ears were laid flat on her head, and her tail was lashing. "You can come to our camp quietly, or we can drag you there by your tails!"

"I don't think so," someone hissed.

Bronzepaw spun around - and felt his heart go cold. Mistystar had just emerged from the bushes on the other side of the Thunderpath... and there were at least ten RiverClan warriors with her. Rowanclaw had been right; this _was _a trap, except it was bigger than just a simple spy-mission-turned-border-skirmish. This promised to be a full-on battle.

And for the first time in his life, he was truly afraid.

* * *

Blackpaw gasped as Mistystar emerged from her hiding place with the rest of her warriors. It seemed like the whole of RiverClan was there - almost twice as many warriors as ShadowClan had. If this turned into a battle, then she didn't even want to imagine how badly they'd get thrashed.

"Why are you here, Mistystar?" Blackstar yowled to the enemy leader. "Why are your warriors trespassing on our territory, and why have you brought so many with you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mistystar snarled. "We're here to claim the land that is rightfully ours!"

For some reason, Blackpaw felt herself relax a little. Some part of her mind believed, for some reason, that Mistystar was here for _her. _That their little family would be split up entirely, one sibling in each Clan except WindClan.

"What land?" Blackstar asked incredulously. "We took no land for you, and our borders have remained the same as they have since our Clans first came to the lake!"

"It's not enough!" With a flick of her tail, Mistystar signalled for her warriors to start advancing; they entered the forest in a single, menacing line. "As leaf-bare comes, the fish grow ever smaller and thinner, and eventually disappear entirely! For the last season-cycle, we were able to catch enough land prey to sustain us, though barely; now, we know that it cannot be enough! Our Clan has grown, and it needs food in its stomach!"

"But our Clan has grown, too!" Blackstar pointed with his tail to Blackpaw, Jadepaw (on his other side), Moonpaw, and Bronzepaw, who were still at the edge of the treeline, caught between the two groups of RiverClan cats. Blackstar felt a flash of worry for her brother. What would happen to him if the RiverClan cats _did _attack?

"If you take the territory that is rightfully ours, then we will starve, rather than you! I will not let that happen!" Blackstar continued, his tone cold. "We _will _fight you, regardless of the odds, to defend ourselves!"

"Very well," Mistystar growled. She was close enough now, only ten or so cat-lengths away, that they could hear her. Bronzepaw, Moonpaw, and Tigerheart had retreated slightly to the side, so that they had a more-or-less clear path to their Clanmates. "RiverClan, attack."

The RiverClan warriors gave a screech of anger, and lunged forward - ShadowClan responded with yowls and hisses, and readied themselves for defense - Blackpaw began to run to her brother -

"STOP!"

* * *

The sheer power of the voice made every single cat present stop in their tracks, and look around to see who had spoken. Bronzepaw winced and flattened his ears, wondering what cat could have yowled _so loudly that they stopped an entire battle with one word._

"Who are you?!"

Blackstar's challenge made everyone's heads snap towards him, or more precisely, toward where he was looking. The white leader's narrowed gaze was fixated on a cat that was standing on a slight slope, which he knew led down to the bank of the lake.

The cat was extremely unusual. It was a pale grey tom with very dark blue eyes; they sparked with anger, visible even from his distance, around twenty tail-lengths away. His fur was sleek and shiny, but it also seemed to flicker and glimmer with silvery flecks, that looked a lot like stars.

His paws seemed to be shrouded in mist, and his bulky outline kept fading in and out of focus. If Bronzepaw didn't know better, he'd think it was a cat from StarClan. But StarClan didn't come into the living world, especially when the sun was still in the sky...

"I am Heron," the cat rumbled. His deep voice seemed to carry to each and every cat as if he was only a few mouse-lengths away from them. "And I command you to stop your battle."

"Who are you to meddle in our affairs? This is a Clan dispute!" Mistystar padded forward until she stood at the base on the slope. Bronzepaw looked around and saw that Blackstar was reluctantly following her.

"I know exactly what this is," Heron growled. "This is not a Clan dispute, Mistystar; this is your way of trying to show that RiverClan is not as weak as everyone seems to think, and that ThunderClan alone does not rule the four territories. You seek to prove that you do not need to listen to anyone, whether it's Firestar, Bramblestar, or the whole of StarClan itself, and that you are free to make your own decisions."

Bronzepaw could only see Mistystar's back, but she had stiffened visibly. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Blackstar gave a hollow laugh. "I never would have expected _Mistystar, _of all cats, to be intimidated by our ThunderClan friends. Congratulations, you've now become a real leader."

"And you!" Heron rounded on Blackstar. "How dare you allow her to go through with this? How dare you put the lives of warriors and apprentices at risk, just to show that ShadowClan never gives in?"

"What?" Blackstar sounded startled. "But the warrior code says that you may not kill -"

"I know what the warrior code says," Heron interrupted. "But if I had allowed this battle to continue, as the Icy ones wished, then there would be more than one death tonight. And that would shake your Clans, and your so-called _destinies, _to the core."

Bronzepaw heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him. He twisted his head sharply and saw Blackpaw, sitting only a cat-length behind him. Her eyes were wider than a robin's egg, and she was staring at Heron with a mixture of anger and fear.

The mysterious grey tom's voice brought Bronzepaw's attention back. "So be glad that I interfered... and let this not happen again." Heron's narrowed gaze swept over every cat, lingering very, very briefly on Blackstar, Mistystar, Bronzepaw, and Blackpaw. Bronzepaw shivered under the cold stare, but it was already gone.

"But -" Mistystar started to speak, but with a flash of light, the tom disappeared.

Small conversations immediately started to break out amongst the cats; the battle was entirely forgotten in the wake of Heron's appearance. Bronzepaw turned to face Blackpaw, intent on asking her what she thought about all of this, but she suddenly screeched, "LOOK!"

Everyone's heads whipped around to look at the slope again - had Heron appeared again? - but instead, Bronzepaw saw more cats... the strangest cats he'd ever seen.

They were running along the ridge that formed the top of the small hill, ignoring the Clan cats clustered below. They smelled of ice and a familiar herb that Bronzepaw couldn't place, and most of them seemed to have brown pelts - although they were smeared with bright colours.

Unbidden, a memory surfaced: Blackpaw, describing the strange cats that her patrol had seen on the RiverClan border. He could almost hear her voice echoing through the moons that had passed. _"Two had their fur all colored with berry juice, and their scent was unfamiliar. One had sparkly see-through paws. And one was obviously a RiverClan cat."_

And then another memory, this time of Littlecloud telling him stories when he was still a tiny kit:

_"The Tribe of Rushing Water is your home, little ones. Your mother came from there."_

_"Tell us about the Tribe, Littlecloud! Please, please, please!"_

_"Oh, all right, just a little, then. Well, those cats are very different from us. They have different ways of talking, hunting, even sharing prey."_

_"How do they hunt?"_

_"They smear their pelts with mud, to blend in with their surroundings, which are also mostly grey and brown. Then they go out in groups..."_

Bronzepaw snapped back to the present, and peered closer at the group of cats still running parallel to the lake. Their pelts were covered in mud! And the coloured streaks were berry juices, just like Blackpaw had described to him.

These could even be the same cats that she'd seen before!

"They must be cats from the Tribe!" he gasped. The group of cats, around ten or so, had already reached the Thunderpath. They ran down the grey stone fearlessly, seemingly unhurt by the rough surface, and before any of the Clan cats could do anything more than call out, "Wait!", they had rounded a corner and were gone.

* * *

Blackpaw felt like she was frozen with shock. She couldn't twitch a single muscle; only her eyes were following the berry-cats as they disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Blackpaw?"

Bronzepaw had padded to her side, and his eyes were worried. She turned to look at him, silently asking the same question that was being echoed all around them.

"Listen, Blackpaw, do you remember a few moons ago, when you told me your patrol saw a couple of strange cats, one with stars on their paws like Heron, and two with berry-coloured pelts like the cats we just saw?"

"Of course! But I thought they were just random loners!" Blackpaw interjected. Her mind was whirling as fast as the wind... "This means that they're an organised group of cats! Which means they might be a threat! And it's very likely that Heron is connected to them, and he's a _dead cat! _Only... But... I thought StarClan didn't exist!"

"No, just wait! I mean, yes, it does exist, but Blackpaw, I think those cats are from the Tribe! Remember what Littlecloud told us, about how they smear their pelts with mud?"

"He didn't mention anything about berries, though," Blackpaw replied with a frown.

"Well, maybe they changed their traditions or something. But what if those cats are from the Tribe? What if they're looking for us?" Bronzepaw's voice had lowered to a whisper. "I think we need to meet them! Maybe they have some answers, about who our parents really were!"

"And about the prophecy!" Blackpaw gasped. "You're right, we have to meet them!"

"But how?" Bronzepaw looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, but everyone else was busy in their own conversations. Even Blackstar, Rowanclaw, Mistystar, and Reedwhisker were huddled in a group, discussing something.

"We'll figure it out later. But what I'm the most confused about is Heron. Did he have anything to do with them? Does he know about the prophecy? Is he really a dead cat?" She hesitated. "I mean, I thought StarClan wasn't real... it just seems too illogical... and it's not like they've ever sent signs: a dream that Littlecloud had could be just a dream, a random coincidence, or something... I need to speak to Mothwing."

Bronzepaw blinked. "Mothwing? Why?"

"Because she doesn't believe in StarClan, you dolt!" Blackpaw exclaimed. "Didn't you hear at the last Gathering, how Willowshine was the only one talking about signs from StarClan with Kestrelflight? Mothwing wasn't anywhere near her! She was talking to Mistystar!" And she'd also heard Troutstream and Grasspelt grumbling that Mothwing should just stop being a medicine cat, if she didn't have a connection with their ancestors...

"That doesn't mean she didn't get a sign, let alone that she doesn't believe in StarClan," Bronzepaw reasoned. "Maybe -"

His sentence was cut short when Blackstar yowled, "This has gone on long enough! ShadowClan, let us return to camp!" Turning to Mistystar, he added in a normal meow, "And let's just drop this issue about land, all right? There are more important things to worry about."

Mistystar looked surprised at how civilized Blackstar was being - even Blackpaw was startled - but she made no comment on it. "Fine." Raising her voice, she called to her own cats, "This will be discussed at the next Gathering! RiverClan, we're going home!"

As the two Clans started to disperse, Blackpaw lost sight of her brother in the tangle of cats. However, she was too lost in worries and speculations to take much notice. _Who were those cats, and what do they have to do with StarClan, the Tribe, Heron, and my powers?_

The falling darkness gave no answer.

**A/N: Hmmm, only 1 review for the last chapter. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? In any case, I'm afraid my update schedule will have to change to 1 chapter every 3 weeks, as I have a beta now, and it takes time to proofread chapters.**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Er, I don't know if any of you readers have seen it yet, but there's a poll on my profile concerning a name for a cat named Eaglekit? It's been up there for a while now, but if you haven't voted yet, I'd really appreciate it if you did! Thanks, now I'll leave you to your reading :3**

**P.S. sorry for the late update! I was on spring vacation! And the Grand Canyon doesn't have internet...**

**Chapter 13**

"Is he awake yet?"

"No, Blackpaw, he isn't. For StarClan's sake, I'll _tell _you when he's awake! Just go away and leave us in peace!" Littlecloud, normally calm and friendly, was on his last nerve now; his ears were flattened, and he was practically snarling at Blackpaw. But she wouldn't back down.

"I want to see my brother! I don't care if he's sleeping, I want to know how he is!" she meowed angrily, lashing her tail.

"As medicine cat, I'm telling you that he isn't in any condition to -" Littlecloud stopped suddenly, cocking his head to the side as if listening. "Wait here."

He disappeared back into his den, but of course Blackpaw ignored his instructions and followed him in. The sky outside was dark, making the den even harder to make out, but Blackpaw used her whiskers to avoid walking into any walls, at least. She approached Bronzepaw just behind Littlecloud, careful not to step on any of the fresh bedding next to Bronzepaw's nest.

"How are you feeling?" Littlecloud asked softly, bending down to touch his nose to Bronzepaw's ear. "Your fever seems to be going down..."

"Thirsty," the sick cat rasped. "Water..."

"Blackpaw, hand me some of the moss. No, don't step on it-! Oh, never mind."

Blackpaw stumbled backwards awkwardly, accidentally stepping on the bedding. It turned out that it was water-soaked moss, ready in case Bronzepaw woke up. Littlecloud snatched up a wad and squeezed it over Bronzepaw's mouth, letting the water trickle into his throat. He sighed in relief as his parched throat was soothed. "Thanks."

"Better now?" Littlecloud asked kindly, tossing aside the now-useless moss. "Does your back still hurt?"

"A little." Bronzepaw's voice was stronger now, not as raspy. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Since yesterday," Blackpaw interrupted. "I tried to see you a bunch of times, but Littlecloud kept making me go away! This is the first time I got to visit!"

Littlecloud's tail swished through the air as he placed it over her muzzle. "She shouldn't be here now, either, but there's nothing I can really do about it," he meowed, sighing tiredly. "I'd asked Blackstar if he could take her to the Gathering, to get her mind off worrying about you, but -"

"The Gathering!" Bronzepaw shot up in his nest, his eyes glinting in the dim moonlight starting to filter through the den entrance. "I can't miss the Gathering! We need to see Snowpaw!"

Blackpaw winced, feeling a stab of guilt. She'd forgotten all about Snowpaw in her worrying over her brother, who had fallen ill a few days ago. His back had gotten infected from some thorn scratches, and he got a cold on top of that. At least it was too early for greencough, though Littlecloud had said one could never be too sure.

"I'm sorry, Bronzepaw, but you're in no condition to go. Maybe next time," Littlecloud meowed soothingly. "Besides, I think Blackpaw is going, and she'll be able to tell you -"

"No, I won't!" Blackpaw interrupted hotly. "I won't leave Bronzepaw! That would be so unfair! And Blackstar didn't say anything about me going, anyway!"

Bronzepaw _mrrowed _with laughter, though his voice still sounded hoarse and weak. "It's okay, Blackpaw. Go on without me."

"I won't, so there." Blackpaw curled up next to Bronzepaw and leveled her glare at Littlecloud, as if daring him to try and kick her out. The old medicine cat sighed, but decided not to argue.

"All the cats going to the Gathering, come to the clearing!" Blackstar yowled from somewhere outside. Littlecloud pricked his ears and glanced at Blackpaw uncertainly.

"I'm supposed to go, but I don't want to leave Bronzepaw alone..."

"It's fine, I'll take care of him until he gets back, and I'll ask Tawnypelt or Leopardstep for help if I need it," she mewed immediately.

He shrugged. "Well, in that case..." Without another word, he turned tail and left. Bronzepaw heaved a long sigh and looked at his sister.

"You sure are persistent..." He trailed off, as if lost in thought.

Blackpaw chuckled softly. "It's in my blood." She waited for Bronzepaw to answer, but his even breaths told her that he had fallen asleep. She sighed and closed her eyes too, feeling tired and exhausted with worry. Maybe she could doze for a bit until the Gathering patrol came back...

* * *

The next thing she knew, Blackpaw's throat was aching and someone was coughing into her ear. She blinked open her eyes and tried to remember where she was. The tangy scent of herbs wreathed around her, and she sat up suddenly, realising that she was in the medicine den and it was Bronzepaw who was coughing into her ear!

"Bronzepaw! Are you al-" Blackpaw stopped and coughed, her sore throat aching from using her voice. Had she caught Bronzepaw's cold? No, this wasn't the time to think about it. "Do you need water?"

"Y-yes," he meowed huskily, "please."

With some difficulty, Blackpaw uncurled herself, feeling her muscles twinge with every movement, and made her way to the moss that had been placed next to Bronzepaw's nest. She prodded it with her paw, but gasped when she realised that it was all dry. She'd have to go to the stream right outside camp to get moss... but in her current state, it would take her way too long.

As if on cue, Dawnpelt poked her nose into the medicine den. "Is everything alright in here?" she asked. "I heard coughing."

"Bronzepaw needs water," Blackpaw meowed, wincing as her throat burned. "And I guess I need it, too."

"I'll be right back." Dawnpelt's pink nose vanished from the entrance, and Blackpaw collapsed next to Bronzepaw again, feeling immensely relieved that she didn't have to walk anywhere. She felt absolutely horrible - it was a good thing she hadn't gone to the Gathering, or she might not have made it back.

The Gathering! Were the cats back yet?

No, there would be more of a commotion, and she would've woken from the noise. She sighed and relaxed a little; at least she wouldn't miss their report. Maybe Snarlpaw or Jewelpaw had seen Snowpaw, and she could ask them if she was doing okay.

A few moments later, Dawnpelt appeared, carrying a few wads of soaking wet moss. She dropped them next to Blackpaw and Bronzepaw, and both siblings eagerly started to drink. Blackpaw purred in contentment as the water soothed her aching throat. "Thanks, Dawnpelt."

"No problem," Dawnpelt replied cheerfully. "Are you okay, Bronzepaw? You're a bit quiet."

Bronzepaw was still licking the moss noisily - from the sound of it, he was desperately thirsty. "I think he's fine," Blackpaw answered for him. "Just a bit tired with being sick, I guess."

Dawnpelt sighed in pity. "I feel for you. Well, good luck recovering, and yowl if you need me again - the warriors den is right by here!" With a friendly lick to Blackpaw's ear, she disappeared again.

"Finally," Bronzepaw rasped. "I thought she'd never leave."

"Bronzepaw!" Blackpaw was torn between disapproval and amusement. "Dawnpelt was very nice to help us by getting some water in the middle of the night. And you didn't even thank her!"

She could imagine him rolling his eyes. "She's a pain sometimes, being all fussy and mothery. I just want to drink and sleep in peace."

"Are you feeling better now that you've slept some more?" Blackpaw inquired.

'A bit." He shuffled around a bit, trying to find a more comfortable sleeping spot. "My nose is runny, though."

"I -" She stopped, pricking her ears. Was that the sound of pawsteps thudding on the path to camp?

"What -"

"Shhh! Listen!" The faint vibration was getting louder. Yes, that was the patrol from the Gathering! They seemed to be running really fast. Had something happened? Was there an attack? Why were they in such a rush? Blackpaw sniffed the air and almost coughed at the tangle of scents in the air. Alarm and confusion was mixed with an overwhelming fear-scent. _What was going on?_

"Rowanclaw!" was the first thing out of Blackstar's mouth as he pounded into camp, the rest of the patrol on his heels. "I need to speak with you, Blackpaw, and Bronzepaw immediately!"

"What's going on?" Blackpaw immediately forgot about her pain and bounded outside, coming to a halt beside her mentor in a few leaps. "Why do you need to talk to me?"

"Where's Bronzepaw?" Blackstar meowed urgently, ignoring her questions. "Something serious has happened."

"In the medicine den, of course! But _what is it?_ Why are you all so freaked out?"

"Not here." Rowanclaw appeared at leader's side; with a flick of his tail, Blackstar directed all of them to the medicine den. "Quickly, inside. This is urgent."

Blackpaw ducked into the den before the senior warriors and rushed up to Bronzepaw. "Thanks for leaving me here," he mewed irritably. "What's happened?"

"Sorry - I don't know anything either. Blackstar said he would explain to us, and Rowanclaw."

"Rowanclaw, check for eavesdroppers. Don't let anyone in - except Littlecloud, I guess," Blackstar growled.

The deputy nodded and did as he was told. Blackpaw took the moment's respite to catch her breath and turn her accusing glare at Blackstar. "Will you _please _explain why you're all in such a fuss?"

Blackstar sighed tiredly, as Rowanclaw rejoined them; Littlecloud was nowhere to be seen. "Tonight's Gathering was a disaster. There were accusations everywhere, and Bramblestar almost clawed off my pelt. Onestar was pretty mad a Mistystar for randomly picking a fight out of nowhere, of course, but the main trouble was because of the strange cats that had appeared. Gossip spreads quickly through the Clans, and it's never been much of a problem - until now. Everyone knows about something that should have been kept a secret."

"At least twenty cats saw Heron and the rest," Bronzepaw pointed out. "You can't really expect for cats to _not _gossip."

"He's right, Blackstar," Rowanclaw mowed seriously. "But what happened that made the whole patrol that scared?"

"Well, because of that whole business, Onestar raised a giant outrage about how we let Heron and the painted cats go, and the precious, mighty ThunderClan -" Blackstar spat the words - "supported him. They were all talk and bluster, saying ridiculous things like 'we need to find them', 'we have to kill them all', 'drive them out', 'invaders', 'StarClan's end', whatever nonsense they said - I wasn't listening."

Blackpaw frowned at the mention of StarClan. She still thought that the notion of dead, oh-so-wise cats strutting around above them, watching all the Clans' movements was a bit creepy, but she didn't voice her doubts.

"That doesn't sound very scary," Rowanclaw observed. "If it was all talk and bluster."

"I'm getting to it!" Blackstar hissed. "So, to my point - Bramblestar suddenly brought up something that apparently _hasn't _been gossiped about to enemy ears. Until now, I suppose. He revealed Snowpaw's gift, curse, skill, whatever you want to call it, to all four Clans, the fool. Of course, half the cats immediately wanted to kick her out while the other half wanted to abuse her gifts in the name of 'all the Clans'. Those foxhearts nearly tore her apart, they were almost foaming at their mouths. The other leaders discussed, fought, squabbled, the usual foxdung, and finally Bramblestar revealed the other half of his revelation - he wanted to organise a trip to the Tribe, to send the apprentices home."

A stunned silence met his words.

Bronzepaw was the first to speak. "Why?" he whispered. Absently, Blackpaw noted that his voice sounded clearer, as if his throat had stopped hurting.

"Because he thinks that it's finally time to figure out why your mother - your real mother - left the Tribe to come here, and because he suspects that something's happened to Stoneteller and he needs to stick his nose in to find out what. The appearance of Heron and the Tribe cats only reinforced that suspicion. It's obvious something isn't right lately, and to him, getting to the bottom of the issue means sending three half-trained cats to the mountains when leaf-bare is almost on us, to check on a cat who's probably perfectly fine right now." Blackstar growled his displeasure at Bramblestar's idiocy. "And apparently, he means to force us to comply through pressure from the other three Clans. Everyone's scared right now, everyone wants answers, and no one outside ShadowClan is thinking clearly. Stupid mousebrains."

Blackpaw had to agree wholeheartedly. "Is he insane?" she snapped. "I want to find out about my past as much as he does, but I'm not going to go strutting into the mountains when it's probably freezing cold there, and the Tribe is dropping dead from starvation! How much food can there be up there, anyway? And are we going to go _alone?_"

"He's offered to send Lionblaze and Dovewing with you - two of the Three, coincidentally enough," Blackstar meowed. "What do you think of that, Rowanclaw?"

"I think he's out of his mind," the deputy replied calmly. "Even if we were to consider this journey - quest - there's no way we're sending two of our apprentices out there without at least two cats with them. There'll be one more ShadowClan cat that way, but, well, we have more Tribe apprentices than they do."

"The Tribe apprentices are sitting right here!" Blackpaw interjected angrily. "And whatever you say, we're not going!"

"Actually," Bronzepaw meowed calmly, "I like the idea quite a lot."

"What?" Everyone turned to stare at him. It was Blackpaw who had spoken.

He shrugged. "Well, I'd like to know what made my mother leave the Tribe, and besides, even if we don't actually find anything, it'll still be good experience. The worst that can happen is that we won't return to ShadowClan, and that's not so bad because there are still eight other apprentices, right?"

Blackstar snarled at him. "Of course we'd care if you didn't return! Even more so if you _died! _As your leader, I cannot allow you to go!"

Blackpaw frowned at both him and her brother. "I guess, when you put it that way, Bronzepaw... and we could take precautions so we don't get snowed in or something... but what if we never _do _return? What if the Tribe tries to make us stay and become their cats? We'll be pretty much taken from our home to a place we don't understand. Frankly, I don't want to do that. But I don't see a way to avoid something like that, if they decide to keep us prisoners."

"That won't happen. Those Tribe cats don't know how to fight. A few good battle moves, some sneakiness, and you're out of their cave."

The word "sneakiness" suddenly reminded Blackpaw of her power, but she quickly shoved the thought aside. With any luck, maybe she'd find answers to that mystery in the mountains, too, although it would be best to not mention it now, of course. The thought of finally getting to the bottom of her invisibility, shadow-sneaking, whatever it was, made her all the more eager to go.

Rowanclaw opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, Littlecloud poked his nose it. "Am I intruding?" he asked.

"No, no, we were just waiting for you. I explained everything to them, and they're deciding whether they want to go or not," Blackstar mewed stiffly. "Personally, I'm all for them not -"

"If I may, Blackstar," Littlecloud interrupted thoughtfully, "I just wanted to say that it's their decision. You may be their leader, but it's their lives you're trying to control. I know what you're going to say, which is why I stopped you. The final choice whether to let them go is yours, of course, but I suspect that if you refuse, Blackpaw and Bronzepaw will just explode from sheer curiosity... or just sneak out one night and go by themselves. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"Of course he wouldn't!" Blackpaw piped up, feeling happier than she had all night. Littlecloud's arguments were the tipping point, judging by Blackstar's doubtful expression. How had she gone from thinking this journey was stupid to wanting to run away for the chance to go to the mountains? Well, it didn't matter now. All that remained was to hear Blackstar's ruling...

"Alright," he sighed finally. "You leave tomorrow night."


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this took a month (and a day), I had a bit of writer's block. I have the general idea for the next chapter, though, so don't worry, it'll come faster than this one. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 14**

Snowpaw shivered slightly in the cool night air, ruffling her thick white fur. She'd never really appreciated just how warm and sunny newleaf and greenleaf were until leaf-fall was almost here. Beside her, Lionblaze fidgeted impatiently. From what she'd seen, he liked action, not waiting and planning. And wasn't his power something to do with being undefeatable? She struggled to recall the stories Leopardstep had fed her. Her time in ShadowClan seemed like it had been a blissful lifetime ago.

Bramblestar growled, deep in his throat. "How long does it take those ShadowClan foxhearts to get to the border?"

"We're right here," a cool voice meowed from the shadows.

All three of the other ThunderClan cats jumped - Snowpaw simply froze in place, recognising the icy mew immediately. It belonged to her sister.

Blackpaw stepped out from behind a bush, and Snowpaw immediately thought of her power. Had she been using it to spy on them? No, she wouldn't - she'd tried her best to keep it a secret from everyone, even her own sister, and there were other ShadowClan cats there who would have seen her use it. Blackstar, Toadfoot, Shrewfoot, and Bronzepaw followed Blackpaw out, making almost no noise, their eyes glinting in the moonlight.

Bramblestar glared at Blackpaw with clear dislike; he and Blackpaw had hated each other ever since Snowpaw had been stolen by ThunderClan. "Apprentices shouldn't speak to leaders that way," he hissed softly. Snowpaw would've been surprised if she wasn't so nervous; his personality seemed to totally change whenever he was around ShadowClan cats...

A growl from Blackstar prevented Blackpaw from retorting. "Enough," the ShadowClan leader interrupted. "The apprentices and their... guardians... must depart as soon as possible, so that they come back before they get snowed in up there."

"They'll probably be snowed in no matter what," Dovewing pointed out. "It's well into leaf-bare up there, you know."

Blackstar snarled at her. "I just don't want to argue more than is necessary!"

Snowpaw was faintly amused at the look of shock on the ThunderClan cats' faces. Evidently, they thought that Blackstar always _loved _arguing. She heard a snigger from Blackpaw and Bronzepaw's direction, and carefully avoided looking at them. _The last thing I need is for Blackpaw to think I've forgiven her. If I don't show her how much she's hurt me with her secrets, she'll continue keeping them until I force her to stop._

Lionblaze spoke up for the first time. "Blackstar's right," he meowed, addressing Bramblestar. "We should hurry. I'd like to get to the forest by dawn."

"Alright," Bramblestar agreed reluctantly. "Lionblaze, Dovewing, Snowpaw - good luck. If you don't return, I'm sending a patrol to get you back as soon as newleaf starts."

Snowpaw nodded in agreement. She felt reassured that ThunderClan cared about her enough to rescue her if she didn't come back - even though the warriors were the first priority, of course, at least she wouldn't get left behind.

She turned just in time to see Blackstar step away from her siblings. Shrewfoot and Toadfoot were murmuring quietly between themselves. Snowpaw didn't know them very well - she'd only been an apprentice for less than a moon before she got taken - but she thought that they both had a calm temperament, and she was glad that Blackstar hadn't sent any hotheads like Smokefoot, who'd do anything to pick a fight. _ShadowClan through and through, _she thought with a trace of bitterness. Was she really upset at not being a part of that? The answer was too unclear for her liking.

"Let's go." Lionblaze's commanding mew jerked her out of her thoughts. Snowpaw nodded hastily to Bramblestar and followed the members of the Three to the shore of the lake. They would travel within the accepted boundary - two fox-lengths from the shore - until they crossed part of WindClan territory and headed out into the great unknown. Her pelt puffed up at the thought of the dangers she could face out there. At least there would be four experienced warriors guarding them.

But would that be enough?

* * *

Blackpaw kept glaring at Bramblestar the whole time that the leaders were talking. She still couldn't forgive him for splitting her family, though she wasn't exactly trying, either. Her hatred for him had only intensified as the separation had caused a rift between her and Snowpaw; she couldn't trust her sister with her innermost secrets, because although Blackpaw knew that Snowpaw would never betray her, it was still too risky in case she gave away something. The logic did nothing to soothe her guilt, however, as Blackpaw noticed how Snowpaw carefully avoided her eye.

A gentle nudge from Bronzepaw, however, brought Blackpaw back to the present. "We're leaving!" He whispered in her ear.

"Finally," she meowed under her breath. A quick glance around told her that Blackstar and Bramblestar were almost swallowed by the shadows, while Lionblaze, Dovewing, and Snowpaw had already started padding towards the lake.

"Let's go, then," Shrewfoot meowed, trotting to catch up with the ThunderClan cats. I sighed, not really wanting to chat with them or anything, but Toadfoot and Shrewfoot had already drawn ahead, leaving me with Bronzepaw. I caught up only when we reached the lake shore.

"We'll travel until sunrise, then take a quick break in the forest," I heard Lionblaze mewing to Toadfoot. "I want to travel more by night, when there's less Twoleg activity."

"Fair enough," the ShadowClan warrior replied. Once again, I was impressed by Blackstar's choice in our escorts; he couldn't have chosen two more even-tempered cats. _That's why he's such a great leader. I hope I can be like him when I grow up. _Then she remembered that she might not even come _back _to ShadowClan, and her heart sank a little.

"Remind me why we're going on this stupid journey again?" she muttered to Bronzepaw.

"Because we want to find out the truth about our past," he meowed calmly. "You want to know who -" He stopped suddenly and started rolling on the ground, whining softly. "Oh, I can't stand it, it _hurts!"_

My eyes widened at his bizarre behaviour. "What are you doing?" I hissed. "We're falling behind!"

"It - just - it's so annoying!" Bronzepaw hastily got up, shaking his pelt to get the stray pieces of grass out of it. His ears flattened as he whined softly again.

"Your back?" I repeated. "I thought Littlecloud said you were all healed!"

"My cold is gone, yeah, and the infection seems to have died down, but it still hurts so much!"

I opened my mouth to reply, but at that moment Shrewfoot called us back. "Hurry up, you're lagging behind!"

Belatedly, I realised that we were almost twenty tail-lengths behind the rest of the group. My pelt burning with embarrassment, I hurried to catch up again, shrinking slightly under Lionblaze's glare and Dovewing's faint amusement.

"Apprentices will be apprentices," I heard her mutter to the golden tom.

I growled softly.

* * *

After a long trek through ThunderClan and WindClan territory, we finally reached the far corner of the hills, where our journey would truly start. I tried to appreciate the amazing view - we could see lots of trees and fields, and even a Twolegplace stretching out below us - but my back hurt too much for me to concentrate. It was maddening.

I resisted the urge to roll around on the grass again, remembering how I'd gotten in trouble for it earlier on. Maybe once we'd stopped for a break, I could...

"I think we're all getting tired," Dovewing announced to the group at large, cutting across my thoughts. "We should stop now."

"But we still have half the night!" Toadfoot argued. "Can't we at least make it to that forest?"

"Look at the apprentices!" Lionblaze meowed, not bothering to keep his voice down. "They look like their paws are about to fall off."

"No we don't!" Blackpaw mewed hotly.

I looked at her and Snowpaw, once again feeling a pang of sympathy for my sister. Thanks to Blackpaw (though the blame wasn't entirely hers), she wouldn't trust either of us anymore, and I really missed her. She looked more exhausted than ever, and I found myself agreeing with Lionblaze. Blackpaw, however, didn't look tired at all. I wondered if she was just naturally that strong, or if Blackstar had trained her in endurance or something... if he had, I wouldn't be surprised.

Shrewfoot sighed, and delivered her verdict. "I really do think we should stop, Toadfoot," she meowed, almost apologetically. "Snowpaw, for one, looks very tired, and Bronzepaw doesn't look so great either; he was sick a few nights ago. We can always continue in the morning."

Toadfoot growled something, too low for me to hear. Dovewing looked uncertainly at Lionblaze, who shrugged.

"Maybe we could," he meowed evasively. "What do you think, Shrewfoot?"

I could tell Blackpaw was almost bouncing with curiosity, but she somehow managed to hold her tongue. I stifled a laugh.

Shrewfoot sighed. "Fine, we'll continue to the woods, and we might as well hunt there, too. But then we're definitely getting a break."

And so, we continued. The conversation had briefly taken my mind off the annoying itch in my back, but now that we were silent again, it hurt more than ever. I found myself fidgeting and licking my shoulder, unsuccessfully trying to reach my back to give it a good wash. I resolved to ask Blackpaw to groom my back later; she'd be annoyed, but she'd probably agree if I told her just how _irritating _it was.

Somehow, I managed to fall into step beside Snowpaw. We descended the slope together, our pelts occasionally brushing. (Blackpaw had trotted ahead to walk with Shrewfoot.) The silence was only broken by our breathing, and my paws skidding on the smooth grass once in a while.

"How are you?" she murmured eventually.

I shrugged, leaping over a rabbit hole. "Alright, I guess. My back hurts like crazy. But how are you?"

Snowpaw peered at my half-healed scratches in concern, disregarding my question. "I wish I could help. Is it infected?"

"It was, but Littlecloud treated it already, and it seems to be healing. But it still really itches." I waved my tail, impatient to change the subject. I hadn't _really _meant to complain to her. "But seriously, are you okay? You seem really tired and quiet."

Snowpaw sighed softly. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just... worried, I guess. About the other cats - they're a bit nicer to me now, by the way - about this journey, about Blackpaw's secret, and now about you."

I felt a guilty pang. "I didn't mean to make you worry. It's just a bit annoying, that's all."

Her whiskers twitched with amusement. "I'm sure it isn't, Bronzepaw, but that's not the point. I just feel so... disconnected, lately. It's like..." She trailed off with a frown.

"What? It's like what?" I meowed urgently.

She sighed again. "It's like we're not even siblings anymore," she whispered. "Blackpaw's keeping secrets -"

"The reason she didn't tell you anything about it is because she didn't know anything about her power herself!" I interrupted in a low hiss. It was time to set this straight. "I'm serious, she didn't tell me anything, either! I'm sure she would've discussed it with you eventually, but now you're not even letting her talk to you! She's worried about you, Snowpaw, just like me, if not more, and I feel really bad when I see you two not speaking to each other! What happened to us sticking together, since we're orphans from outside the Clan?"

Snowpaw opened her mouth to reply, but at that exact moment, Blackpaw turned to glare at me. I winced, realising that my voice _might _have risen just a little bit when I was ranting at Snowpaw. "Keep your voice down!" Blackpaw mouthed at me before turning to look front again.

I shrugged and gave Snowpaw an apologetic glance. She looked half-angry, half-uncertain. I wondered if anything I'd said had any meaning at all for her.

"I'm sorry," she mewed eventually, as we neared the woods. "I was upset... I'll think about what you said, Bronzepaw. But for now... siblings forever?"

"Siblings forever," I repeated automatically, twining my tail with hers.

She gave me a soft purr, her eyes regaining some of their old sparkle.

"Alright, everyone! We're resting here until sunrise, then continuing!" Shrewfoot announced to the group at large. I saw Blackpaw plop down alone under the roots of an old oak tree. I gave Snowpaw a questioning glance, to see whether she wanted to join her, but I got a negative shake of her head. Well, I guess she didn't entirely believe me.

We settled down under a small fern bush, close to where Lionblaze and Dovewing were nesting. I could've caught a few of their words if I'd cared to listen, but I was too tired. "Good night, Snowpaw," I meowed softly, snuggling up to her to preserve as much warmth as possible.

"Good night, Bronzepaw."

The last thing I saw was Blackpaw's hurt eyes, reflecting the dark sky. _I'll apologize in the morning, _I thought briefly, before drifting off into a deep sleep.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The trip through the Twolegplace was uneventful, though a bit frightening. I remembered how Snowpaw couldn't seem to leave Bronzepaw's side, and felt bitterness welled up inside of me, as it had every time I thought about it. What happened to being inseparable? And how had our friendship been split so deeply?

Once, a stray dog nearly attacked us, but Dovewing gave us enough warning so that we could climb onto a roof of a Twoleg den before it even appeared. I briefly envied her powers, but quickly realised that she must be in a lot of pain, with the amount of noise and activity her extended senses must be giving her. I could tell by the way Lionblaze gave her anxious looks, and how her ears were often flat against her skull. Shrewfoot and Toadfoot seemed to pay no notice, as they were probably used to her power, but Snowpaw glanced at Dovewing a lot more than was necessary.

Not that I was watching her, or anything. I was just bore.

Now, our little group had reached the foothills of the mountain range where the Tribe made its home. I thought that I should be feeling scared, maybe, of the coming leaf-bare, and perhaps excited at finally seeing my true home - but all I felt was apprehension. For some reason, all my instincts were telling me that we should turn back to the lake and go to my _real _home, as something was not quite right here.

Something was definitely missing.

Toadfoot, Lionblaze, and Dovewing were staring up at the steep cliffs, mixed emotions shining in their eyes. I thought I could see regret, longing, and happiness - an odd combination. Shrewfoot, however, was watching me.

"Are you alright, Blackpaw?" she asked, padding over to me.

"Fine." I shrugged.

"Do you want to go hunting while we're taking a rest?" she persisted. "Or why don't you join your siblings?"

I looked at Bronzepaw and Snowpaw, sharing tongues all cozily a dozen cat-lengths away. "No, thanks," I meowed frostily. "I'll just wait here."

She peered closer at my face. "What's wrong between all of you? You used to be so close..."

"I said, I'm _fine!" _I didn't realise I had yowled until everyone looked over at me, including my brother and sister. My pelt bristling with embarrassment, I flattened my ears slightly and walked away from all their curious stares, not quite sure where I was going, but not really caring either. Maybe I _would _hunt after all.

We had come to a rest not far from a copse of trees, so I turned toward those. With any luck, there would be a mouse or two for me to eat before we moved on. _And I wouldn't have to look at Snowpaw being all sisterly with Bronzepaw._

The cold breeze rustled the grass softly, making it tickle my fur. I tried to ignore the sensation, but that only made it feel worse; to top it off, droplets of water started landing on me. One splashed on my nose, and I sneezed, growling irritably. Of course the weather would be against me! And with the rain, most of the prey would probably be hiding it its burrows and dens. I might have to go back hungry.

Thankfully, the trees provided some shelter from the increasing rain. I ducked under a holly bush and sniffed the air, not really expecting to find any scents. To my surprise, though, I smelled a fresh rabbit scent. It was tinged with warm milk, and I realised that a rabbit's burrow must be nearby. But what was a rabbit doing, having babies this close to leaf-bare? Surely they'd all die in the cold.

I carefully followed the scent, treading lightly to avoid excessive noise. I was led under a bramble bush, around a large oak tree, and into a small clearing where a tiny hole was dug out in the roots of a... a deathberry bush.

I stopped immediately, eyeing the berries warily. They were glossy and red, interspersed within the needles of the bush, and I could see a tiny black seed through the holes in their centres. I noticed a bird pecking at the red part of one of the berries, too high up for me to reach it. _The seed must contain the poison, _I concluded. _So as long as they don't get anywhere near my mouth, I'm safe._

Well, the rabbits were waiting. I padded softly to the hole and prodded the soft fluff inside with my paw, expecting to encounter some juicy morsels.

I heard a muffled _thump _and a gentle snuffling. Very, very cautiously, I hooked the fluff with a claw and tossed it aside, revealing three baby rabbits curled up on each other. One of them was twitching, causing the thumping sound when its leg hit the side of the little burrow.

A sudden burst of compassion washed through me. I looked down on the adorable little fuzzballs, watching their fur rise and fall as they breathed. The thought of eating them didn't even cross my mind anymore. One opened an eye and blinked at me. I purred, despite its little squeak of terror once it realised I wasn't its mother.

I peered closer, looking at the babies. They were each a different colour, I noticed. One was covered with thick white fluff, its ears and nose the only spots of colour on its pelt. Another was a strange dark ginger colour. I didn't know that rabbits could have anything but grey fur, but I shrugged and moved on to the third one.

It had jet-black fur.

"This has got to be a coincidence," I muttered, forgetting what I was leaning over. The first two rabbits erupted into a cacophony of squealing, and I hastily gave them a few licks, forgetting that they weren't kittens, used to their mother grooming them. They became even more terrified. Frantic, I grabbed the discarded grey fluff and practically shoved it into the hole, concealing the babies from view and thus muffling their high-pitched little voices.

I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they'd probably be safe until their mother came back. Speaking of coming back... I looked up at the sky, surprised to find that it had turned a darker grey. Was the sun setting already? I quickly bounded back the way I'd come, hoping and praying (to no one in particular) that the others had at least waited for me to come back from my fruitless hunting trip.

I'm sure those baby rabbits were _just a coincidence. _Their mother wasn't dead, unlike mine. Right?

* * *

"Where were you?" I asked Blackpaw impatiently as she came trotting back to our little hill, soaked to the skin. "We were waiting for -"

"I don't care, alright?" she snarled, glaring at me. I stared, taken aback at her angry tone. Sure, I was a bit annoyed with her, but I had a reason, didn't I?

"Look, that's enough arguing! We've wasted enough time already!" Dovewing interrupted. "Let's just get moving, okay? We're all pretty well rested, so I think we can all travel around half the night, can't we?"

"No we can't!" Toadfoot protested. "I remember the Great Journey pretty well, and those cliffs are treacherous even in the daylight! Travelling through the night, one of us could easily fall off and die."

Shrewfoot spoke up. "I think Toadfoot's right, Dovewing. We're all well-rested, it's true, but thanks to Blackpaw we can't safely continue. We'll just have to sleep here for the night, and get to the Tribe cave by sundown tomorrow." Her voice was even, but I noticed Lionblaze giving Blackpaw a dirty look. I was tempted to agree with him, but I kept my gaze neutral. She was my sister, after all.

In the end, we agreed with Shrewfoot, of course, though there was still a lot of grumbling from Lionblaze before everyone finally settled down. To my irritation, Blackpaw didn't look at all remorseful; she had a thoughtful frown on her face, as if she was contemplating something important. I was torn between anger that she didn't care how annoying she was being and curiosity as to what was occupying her mind.

The next morning dawned cool, fresh, and crisp; there was a cloud front advancing steadily towards us from the lake's direction, and I noticed Dovewing murmuring nervously to Lionblaze about a storm. I got up the latest, but thankfully Snowpaw had caught a vole for both of us to share. She wasn't the greatest hunter, I'd learned, but she was decent. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Blackpaw was eating a thrush, separate from the rest. Snowpaw was absently tearing off the vole's fur and arranging it into some design, not taking her eyes off her estranged sister.

There was a cautious, yet calculating look on her face. I'd never expected to see that mixture on the face of such a sweet, caring cat.

"Be careful of loose stones and crumbled rock ledges," Lionblaze told everyone. "I don't want anyone falling to their deaths and possibly getting injured."

Dovewing rolled her eyes and swatted him with her paw. I heard Shrewfoot chuckle.

The line was set up like this: Dovewing led the way, followed by Toadfoot, then Blackpaw, then Shrewfoot, then me and Snowpaw, and finally Lionblaze. That way, Dovewing could scout ahead with her senses (which I still found rather creepy) and Lionblaze would watch for anyone following us, although that was unlikely.

In the first part of the day, we managed to ascend halfway up the first mountain. By that time, my feet were feeling very sore, and I noticed that Snowpaw's pawsteps left blood smeared on the rocks. I pointed this out to Shrewfoot, and she agreed that we should take a break.

"The hunting methods are very different here than they are back at the lake," Dovewing explained to us apprentices a little later. "Here, cats mask their pelts and their scent under mud, and they use smaller prey like mice to attract larger prey, such as eagles. There just aren't enough small animals to feed two cats, let alone an entire Tribe. Also, it usually takes a group of cats working together to bring down large birds of prey, so teamwork and cooperation are very important skills here in the mountains."

I nodded my understanding, and Snowpaw looked at her fluffy white coat sadly, as though imagining it already coated with mud. Blackpaw gave her an almost sympathetic look, which immediately turned bitter when Snowpaw pointedly ignored her.

Dovewing scouted ahead and discovered a small trickle of water in a neighboring gully. Lionblaze, Snowpaw, and I were sent to cover our pelts with mud - we had the most noticeable fur, because we were golden, white, and bronze, respectively. To tell the truth, I wasn't even sure what colour bronze was supposed to _be _until a moon ago, when I had hesitantly asked Toadfoot. He'd explained that it was a sort of light brown, shiny material that could be found in the Twoleg den that used to house two vicious kittypets. How my mother had known that my fur was exactly that colour, remained a mystery.

That is, another mystery to add to the ever-growing collection, along with my parentage, the berry-cats, Blackpaw's powers, and the reason why my back hadn't stopped itching for the quarter moon. Sure, the irritation ebbed and flowed, but it was always _there, _and it nearly drove me insane when I thought about it for too long. Snowpaw hadn't been able to help me, either.

"Here we are," Lionblaze mewed gruffly as we entered the narrow gully. Sure enough, there was a tiny trickle wetting the dirt at the bottom, and I could see that despite the small size, the mud would be perfect. A few stunted bushes and a bit of grass lined the edge. I sighed and descended after Lionblaze, who had gone first, sending a few rocks skittering down as I slid neatly to the edge of the little stream.

"Do I _have _to do this?" I asked flatly. "I mean, my fur's pretty camouflaged -"

"No it's not," Lionblaze snapped. "Now do as you're told, or you won't be getting any fresh-kill!"

I shrugged in defeat and gingerly sank down into the mud. The water was surprisingly cold, but even more of a surprise was how _good _it felt when I rolled over onto my back, letting the mud rub against my itchy scratches. It was pure bliss.

To my right, I could hear Snowpaw sighing mournfully as her fur made squelching noises in the silt. I winced in sympathy as I turned over and got a good luck at her normally pristine fur. It was now a soaking, matted mess, and she looked completely unrecognisable except for her green eyes.

"How do I look?" she asked me awkwardly once we'd all climbed out of the mud again.

"Passable," Lionblaze meowed curtly. "Come on, we need to get back before they all die of the cold up there."

I glared at him for interrupting, but did as I was told. We clambered up the rocky slope again, and I winced every time one of my claws snagged a stone. My paws would probably be unrecognisable when I got home... if I ever did.

When we rejoined the group, they almost didn't recognise us for a second. I saw Blackpaw unsheathe her claws before she recognised me and relaxed. She even sniggered a little when she saw Snowpaw's miserable expression.

"Stop being mean!" Snowpaw snapped, seeing Blackpaw's look. I opened my mouth to reprimand her, then snapped it shut again, shaking my head slightly. What had happened to being inseparable siblings? Had we really let a stupid prophecy drive us so far apart?

I saw Shrewfoot sigh, but she didn't meddle between us, for which I was thankful. Instead, she called us all together, so that we could continue the journey into the gathering twilight.

"We're almost there," Lionblaze informed Toadfoot.

"I know," he replied with a hint of a growl. "I've been here before!"

"When you were a kit.'

"My memory isn't that bad!"

It took me a moment to realise that this wasn't an argument; it was just friendly banter. Almost without meaning to, I looked at Blackpaw, thinking of our own playful quarrels, and I saw her staring back at me with a wistful expression. However, as soon as our eyes locked, she frowned, and a thoughtful expression returned to her face when she turned away again.

"Bronzepaw -" Snowpaw started to say something, but before she could finish, Dovewing interrupted.

"Does everyone hear that?" she asked the whole group.

I stopped and listened, pricking my ears, and even closing my eyes to concentrate. As I tried to focus on the sounds around me, the itching on my back returned with persistence, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and listened.

After a few seconds, I began to pick out a faint roaring. I opened my eyes again and saw Dovewing watching everyone else concentrating. I seemed to have been the first to hear it.

"It's a waterfall," I meowed into the near-silence. "That's where the Tribe lives, right? Behind a waterfall."

Dovewing nodded, and smiled at me. "That's right."

**A/N: I thought this chapter wasn't too good, but the words wouldn't come so I gave it my best shot. Please review?**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: This is my last chapter for this summer, I'm afraid. I just came back from a sleepaway camp, and I have another camp starting soon, plus I want to work on my novel. See you all in September.  
**

**Chapter 16**

I stared into the face of my supposed father, and tried to see a reflection of myself in his eyes. They were amber, warm with compassion and filled with wisdom, but I couldn't see the spark... I wasn't even sure what the spark was, only that this cat didn't have it. I just knew... somehow, I instinctively knew... that Teller of the Pointed Stones didn't have the same skills as I had. There was no relation between us.

In that moment, I felt more alone than I ever had in my life.

"You can call him Stoneteller," Dovewing was saying to us. I blinked and mumbled something that Stoneteller probably couldn't hear over the deafening roar of the waterfall. He seemed to get the message, though, as he extended a paw to me in a gesture of greeting that I'd learned from Dovewing earlier.

I extended a paw in return. White and dark grey, little and big. Two lives bound not by blood, but by the threads of fate.

"My name is Snowpaw," I meowed shyly to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," he replied, retracting his paw. I noticed that he had a distinct accent, though it wasn't nearly as strong as that of the other cats I could hear whispering around us.

Beside me, Bronzepaw also dipped his head to the Tribe's leader. "It's a great honour. I am Bronzepaw, and the cat on my left is my sister, Blackpaw."

I kept my face carefully neutral at the mention of my sister. Stoneteller greeted the other two in turn, though he gave Blackpaw a bit of a puzzled look, as if wondering why she had let her brother introduce her. I could imagine Blackpaw struggling contain to contain her anger, and remembered how her tail-tip twitched in a circle when she was annoyed. This was almost certainly one of those times.

Lionblaze leaned over to whisper in my ear. "We're going to ask Crag - I mean Stoneteller - about your mother tomorrow. For now, get some rest, and enjoy the food. They caught an eagle today."

"An eagle?" I pricked my ears.

"You'll see." He padded away in Toadfoot's direction.

I realised that Stoneteller had finished greeting my siblings, and had moved on to talk to Dovewing. In his absence, the rest of the Tribe cats began to crowd in, looking at us curiously. I instinctively pressed myself closer to Bronzepaw, feeling uncomfortable under their stares. The adults looked wary, maybe even a little resentful, but the younger cats - to-bes? - looked shy and eager at the same time.

"Snowpaw, you don't need to act so scared," Bronzepaw muttered in my ear.

"Sorry," I apologized, but I didn't move back. "They're acting really weird though..."

One of the smaller cats, a small grey she-cat, walked up to me hesitantly. "Hi," she meowed. "I'm Cloud that Carries Snow, or just Cloud. What's your name?"

"I'm Snowpaw," I replied, wondering whether I should extend my paw like I'd done for Stoneteller. Were younger cats supposed to be less formal?

Cloud wrinkled her nose. "That's a weird name," she said a little dubiously, as if she thought I was joking. "Are all your cats named like that?"

Beside me, Bronzepaw fluffed up his fur a little. "Yeah," he mewed challengingly. "My name's Bronzepaw, and this is -"

"I'm Blackpaw!" my sister cut across him sharply. "And I'm sorry for my brother's rude tone, he's just being a mousebrain."

Cloud turned to her, seeing a fellow spirit; someone who was unafraid of speaking up. "Would you like to share food with the other to-bes, Blackpaw?"

Despite myself, I felt a little hurt that Blackpaw got invited and I didn't. So I was a little too nice for them, was I? Why did _she _always get what she wanted, while I got left behind no matter how hard I tried?

Why did _she _deserve her powers more than I did?

I felt a prickling sensation behind my eyes, and blinked to dispel it. "Come on, Bronzepaw," I hissed in his ear. "Let's go eat with the adults, they're more mature anyway."

My brother reluctantly turned away from Blackpaw and Cloud, who had gone to join a small circle of to-bes. "Alright."

After only a few minutes, though, I began to feel lonely, despite Bronzepaw's presence alongside me and the murmurs of the older cats around us. We shared our piece of a hawk in silence; clearly, he was still too distempered by Cloud's rudeness and exclusion to feel like talking. His dark mood spoiled the excitement of eating the unusually flavoured hawk meat, and I felt a prickle of resentment that he was ruining this experience for me.

Finally, when I couldn't stand the silence any longer, I bent over to whisper in Bronzepaw's ear. "Do you want to go join the other apprentices?"

His head jerked up in surprise. "I thought you didn't want to."

I stifled a sharp retort. "You don't need to shadow me, Bronzepaw. I'll be fine. Go and join your sister."

Despite my careful self-control, some of my anger must have seeped through. He gave me a wary look. "No," he mewed stubbornly. "You're my sister too, and I won't leave you. Who cares about those to-bes anyway? You're right, they're just immature kits."

But I had seen his longing half-glance.

"It's fine, Bronzepaw. I don't mind, 'kay?"

He sighed. "Very well. And, uh, thanks, Snowpaw."

I gave his ear a reassuring lick. He stood, waving his tail in a friendly farewell, and walked over to where the other to-bes were eating. I saw him exchange a few words with Cloud; Blackpaw seemed to step in, and finally he joined their little circle. I turned away before they could catch me staring, and think of doing something completely humiliating like call me over. As if I needed an invitation!

I choked down the remains of the hawk meat, which felt like I was trying to swallow dust, and looked around for a puddle to drink from, stupidly forgetting that I was in a cave that obviously wouldn't let in rain. However, there were a few puddles next to the waterfall, obviously formed by the mist. I didn't really want to go over there and risk slipping and falling into the cascade of water, though, so I stood and looked around for an alternative source.

Suddenly, I spotted the shadowed entrance of a tunnel that I hadn't initially spotted. It was at the back of the cave, well away from any groups of eating cats, and looked extremely inviting; it probably led to another cave, which would hopefully be devoid of other cats (and apprentices). It wouldn't hurt to check, would it? Maybe that cave had a hole in its ceiling, which would let water in.

I got up, cautiously checking to see if anyone was watching me. No, the coast was clear - the adults were all absorbed in their conversations, no doubt discussing the reason for our trip here. I spotted Stoneteller among them, conversing with Lionblaze. And the to-bes were huddled together, talking about something that seemed to be very funny. One of them, a dark brown tom, looked up, meeting my gaze for a split second. Our eyes locked - my heart gave a strange thud - then he exploded in a fit of giggles, the other cats along with him. Blackpaw seemed to be the only one who wasn't laughing, and she flashed me a quick glance - an apology? - before turning to say something to Cloud.

My paws twinged with an unknown emotion. Were they laughing at _me? _But - I hadn't done anything! Surely I was just mistaking their covert looks?

Pushing the cats out of my mind, I made my way around the edge of the cave to the tunnel entrance. For some reason, I felt uncomfortable walking across the centre, as though it would draw the attention of every other cat present. Eventually, I reached the dark gap in the wall. My whiskers twitched as they picked up a cool flow of air. I was right - there was another cave at the other side, and it had to have some connection with the outside world! And since it was burrowed deep in the rock, it had to be a hole into the sky.

Without any more hesitation, I lightly leaped into the tunnel and began walking. It took a curve, and for a moment I was suspended in near-total darkness, until a moment later the stone walls widened into a smaller cave. The first thing I noticed were the stone fangs, jutting from the ceiling and floor, as if I was in the maw of some enormous beast. A shiver of foreboding ran through me, before I spotted the opening that let in pale, welcome moonlight. It illuminated a scattering of several shallow puddles across the stone floor.

"Water," I breathed with relief. Without stopping to think about what I was doing, I hurried to the closest puddle and lowered my muzzle to its surface. The liquid was cool and sweet, as though it had just fallen from the clouds. I purred my contentment.

All of a sudden, the water went dark. I hissed with surprise and pulled back, half-expecting a shape to leap out of the puddle and attack me, but no - the inky blackness was swirling and fading, to be replaced with an exact replica of the starry night sky. With a gasp, I looked up to the real sky - but all I saw was the moon, not the stars.

The realization came to me in a flash. _The puddle is showing me a vision!_

My eyes were locked onto the surface of the water, as images began to scroll across it. I watched the stars dissolve into an image of a grassy clearing, and two cats, a dark grey tabby tom and a golden she-cat, padded across it. They stopped and stared straight at me.

"Snowpaw," the she-cat murmured. "We've been waiting for you for so long. Why didn't you come to this cave earlier? You've lived here all your life."

"_What?" _I meowed. "How could I have come here before? This is my first time in the Tribe of Rushing Water!"

The tom shook his head. "She meant in your dreams, not in real life. Although I suppose this way works better."

I flattened my ears. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The she-cat gave me a puzzled look. "Don't you recognise us, Snowpaw?" she asked. "We're your ancestors. Hasn't your mother taught you of your true heritage?"

My throat constricted painfully. "She's _dead," _I managed to whisper.

Her eyes widened. "Oh! I'm so sorry, my dear. If I'd known -" she seemed to choke up, and I noticed the glint of tears before she looked away.

The tom swished his tail. "In that case, Snowpaw, we have much to tell you. But first, you must promise _never _to reveal any of this to your siblings. Do you understand? They must _never _know of the powers you can eventually hold."

"What powers?" I demanded. "They're the ones with a prophecy, not me!"

He gave a low, soft chuckle. "Snowpaw, prophecies are for weak-minded fools like StarClan. Your powers are not given by any Clan ancestors, and they are yours and yours alone. That is why they can be greater than anything the Clans have ever seen." His voice lowered to a loving whisper. "With our help, you can _rule all the Clans and Tribes combined._"

I couldn't help my gasp. "There's more than one Tribe? What - but - I don't want power! I just want to serve StarClan!" A flash of anger went through me as I realised that he'd insulted my ancestors -

"No, Snowpaw," the she-cat said. She seemed to have recovered, and her gaze was now cool and level. "StarClan are not your ancestors, no matter how much you wish they were. We are, and it is us that you will serve, because we will teach you to extend and control your soothsaying powers beyond your wildest dreams."

"But first," the tom interjected, "you must promise to keep all of this a secret."

The world seemed to spin. "My powers aren't meant to rule, they're meant to guide and heal - like a medicine cat of StarClan! I don't want to rule anyone, I just want to help!" My voice cracked. "And what is soothsaying, anyway?"

The she-cat narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me that Jayfeather hasn't told you."

I shook my head in the negative. "I haven't told him much about my ability, though."

"Foolish she-cat," the tom spat. "You're losing precious time. We must begin your training immediately. But first, _promise!"_

"I-" I couldn't say it. "Can't this wait? I need to think -"

"_No!"_

My breath caught. Could I-? Should I-? But my siblings -

_They don't care about you,_ a little voice in my head whispered.

"I pro-"

"Snowpaw?! What are you doing here?"

In a flash, the puddle went back to reflecting the moonlight and ceiling. I reeled backwards, the shock of the vision still holding me captive. What had just happened?

"Snowpaw!"

It was Stoneteller, flanked by Toadfoot and Dovewing. They hurried to me, and Dovewing gave me a swift lick to my ear as Toadfoot tried to haul me to my feet.

"Leave her," Stoneteller snapped. "I need to know what she was doing, what she saw. Snowpaw, can you hear me?"

"Y-yes," I whispered. My throat felt parched again, despite my drink of - how many minutes had passed? How long was I held in a trance?

"Get her water," Stoneteller urged. I heard one of the other cats scamper away, presumably for some moss. My head gave a flash of pain as I let it fall back on the hard stone.

My vision was suddenly filled with Stoneteller's face, his hard gaze boring into mine. _"What did you see in the puddle?" _he demanded in a harsh whisper. A whisper of command.

I felt compelled to answer, as if some unseen force was making my mouth move. "I saw two cats -"

"Here," Dovewing meowed, thrusting a wad of soaking moss into my muzzle. I choked on the water at first, then began to lap at the delicious coolness. It didn't taste like the water in my vision-puddle, though - it tasted like ordinary rainwater, nothing unusually sweet. I felt a small pang of loss for the taste.

Stoneteller gave a low, guttural growl, but he didn't press me further. I licked the moss ball dry, then let my eyes drift closed, realising how tired I felt. It was as if the vision had drained all the energy out of me, even though this had never happened before. But then, none of my visions had ever had other cats in them, much less cats that promised unfathomable power in exchange for treacherous promises and sworn loyalties.

The last thing I saw was Stoneteller's wary gaze, before I relaxed into the comforting blackness.


End file.
